3 replies to this topic

[Thinker]

We have many reasons that move us to want to glorify God. Look with me at the one reason above all others that should fill us with a passion to glorify Him. Not for a minute am I able to do justice to this subject. I can only pray that the thoughts will be helpful. Let's begin with this: you have a son that you love with every fiber of your being. You look around on mankind. There are all kinds of people headed for eternal punishment. They range from some fairly decent people (but still with a lot that is wrong in their lives) to those that might be described as the dregs of humanity. You alone have the means to save these people from their deserved fate. To rescue them, you must allow your son to be severely tortured, mocked and suffer an excruciating death. Would you do it? God did! Don't think for a moment, however, that Jesus' physical suffering was the worst thing that He endured. Certainly, it was horrible and we must never be guilty of minimizing it in any way. Nevertheless, the worst thing that He suffered was bearing our sin and sins in His own body. The Holy, sinless, pure, perfect Son of God had to have placed upon Himself all the sin(s) of mankind for all of human life on earth, for all of time. He had to be punished for (pay for) all of man's offenses against God's Holy justice. There are no words in the human vocabulary to adequately convey what this cost Him, but "....God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (From John 3:16). Selah! Anyone who would spurn such a gift of love and grace as that gift which God offers, paid for at such a price, deserves to be separated from God and righteousness forever. Thinker (Ron)

"He is despised and rejected of men; a Man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from Him; He was despised, and we esteemed Him not. Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed" (Isaiah 53:3-5).

[Candice]

Ron,

Amen. This is too awesome, too much to wrap your mind around isn't it? I know this is controversial, but didn't God turn His back on His son as in separation, although I don't know how long this was...three days? I don't know.

Just another thought. Candice

[Charles Miles]

Candice, I`m certainly not Ron(his theological refinement is way, way ahead of me and I wish I had it) but there is a little book you might enjoy called.."From the Cross to the Throne". It certainly cleared my mind about just what happened . Please excuse me for jumping into this thread with a suggestion, but I turned on the computer as I was leaving for church and I get to discuss this topic today.

[Kevin Blankenship]

Ya know Thinker, I really am moved by your post, more specifically, your analogy of the father and the son and the sins of manking. Well done.