The Activated Will

Last week we discussed about a prince who offered to die in place of a young poor orphan who had erred. This act is what the theologians call a vicarious sacrifice – the innocent dying in the place of the guilty. That attribute belongs solely to Jesus Christ.

In the time past, God had commanded the Israelites to offer sacrifices on the Day of Atonement – the blood of bull for the priest and goat for the people, just to cover their sins, not to cleans them. The offering had to be made each year. To remedy the situation, God made a permanent arrangement for the sacrifice to be made for the last time – the vicarious sacrifice of Jesus.

Jesus took the sorrows of the world on himself. He had done nothing worthy of death. We were the ones who had turned our own way and needed a way back to God. He was wounded, pierced, and then led to be slaughtered like an animal. Despite all these humiliation and injustice, while still being innocent, He did not defend himself. He willingly took the punishment that we deserved. He did all these so we can leave at peace with God.

 

God’s love for people is so great and His mercy so all-encompassing that He knew the death of His son was humanity’s only hope of salvation. The blood of Jesus provides inner cleansing that turn sinners into children of God. This was done through justification – the act of removing from sinners their guilt and the penalty for that guilt and replacing it with righteousness when they believe in Jesus as Saviour.

The value of our redemption is extravagant beyond imagination. No amount of money or any possession can match the value of the gift that God has given us. If we saved everything we could ever earn while living on this earth, it would not be enough to buy our salvation. The richest person alive does not have enough.

Since Jesus died, he activated His will. If we accepted Him, we become co-heirs with Him and have full right to lay claim to the inheritance that was promised the children of God and we will thus be reunited with God.

“Like a will that takes effect when someone dies, the new covenant was put into action at Jesus' death. His death marked the transition from the old plan to the new one, canceling the old obligations and accompanying sins, and summoning the heirs to receive the eternal inheritance that was promised them. He brought together God and his people in this new way.”

(Hebrews 9:16, 17, MSG)