Christ’s Eternal Continual Sacrifice for You;
What is Your Continual Sacrifice to Him?
Christians tend to believe that Christ’s sacrifice ended with His death on the stauros {cross to those who think in Latin}. As part of our study of maturing discernment I propose that Christ’s sacrifice occurred before this Creation and continues into eternity future to never end. Yet, it was a sacrifice He willingly endures for the Joy that was set before Him: Your Salvation (He 12:2)!
Our study centers on this graphic which I recently developed for a bible study of Psalm Three – Christ’s Prayer on Earth {Published 26 Dec 2021} (Ps 3:1-2). As I prepared for this study it dawned on me that Jesus made a great many sacrifices for believers; yet, we concentrate on His sacrifice as the Lamb of God to take away sin (Jn 1:28-34). Yes, it was important and essential; but, it ended when Christ said, “It is finished,” (Jn 19:30). This lesson is not intended to diminish this essential sacrifice but to expand our understanding of the cost Christ willingly paid and continues to pay for His people.
Our study begins where the Bible begins, “In the beginning, God…” (Ge 1:1). The word for God is {אֱלֹהִים ’; elôhîym} Elohim. It is an absolute plural noun and I believe carried the understanding of the unified Trinity throughout the Old Testament hidden from the Jews, believing and unbelieving. The Father, Son and Spirit were spiritually unified and interdependent in a manner that is nearly beyond our comprehension. Our experience is limited by our sinful, unitarian bodily experience. Intellectually we may express some understanding of melding together with other consciousnesses but this is simply outside of our experience. We know only our own feelings and verbal communications through our sinful flesh are simply inadequate! We are truly like sheep gone astray from God but through Christ we are joined to the Father through Him via the Spirit (1Pe 2:24-25).
So, before Creation the Elohim existed: Always existed. Then, the Father begotten {μονογενής; monogenēs} the Son; i.e., the Son separated from the Father and Spirit (Ps 2:7; Jn 1;18; He 1:5-6; 5:5-6). In fact, I believe that the Spirit also separated to be the eternal link between Father and Son and later between Father-Son-Believer(s) (Jn 16:12-15; 1Co 12;12-13; Ga 4:6). Imagine the complete harmony between these three persons that they moved as One entity. This should not stretch our credulity as Satan, ever the great imitator, had his demons do the same when expedient. When Christ encountered the demon-possessed man of Gerasenes, He asked the demon his name. Though references as singular the demon replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many” (Mk 5:1-10). We will come back to this reference. Therefore, I call this first separation the First Degree of Separation. I said it occurred before Creation because…
“And God said, ‘Let there be light,'” (Ge 1:3-5). The Father Bara or created material from nothing (Ge 1:1-2). The Light that appeared next was not physical light; this was created on Day Four (Ge 1:14-19). This Light was Christ entering into this physical Creation to fashion it according to the Father’s Will (Jn 1:1-18; Col 1:15-22). He was the Light and the Author of all we see and do not see (He 11:3)! Through inspiration John remarks that no one has ever seen the Father at anytime. Hence, anytime God is visible in the Old Testament, it is the Son! The one time the Father spoke, the Ten Words, the people trembled and asked for an intercessor. At first this was Moses; later it would be Christ (Ex 20:1-21; He 3:1-6).
Our Second Degree of Separation occurred in the Gospels. Christ came in the Flesh; i.e., in a fleshly body (He 2:14-18). Christ came to save people made directly in God’s image (Ge 1:27; 2:7). God provided Himself, His Son, as a sacrifice for sin since all people are polluted with sin and unfit to pay the penalty and remove God’s wrath from themselves (Ge 22:7-8). This could only be accomplished in Christ who came in the form of sinful flesh, though without sin, to be the Passover Lamb, the propitiation for all sinners who believe God from Adam throughout all history (Ro 3:21-25; 2Co 5:21).
Christ willingly became the slave to the Father’s will and laid aside His trappings of deity to die. But, not only to simply die but just to take on the fleshly body must have been a great step down; yet, He was willing to do this (Ph 2:5-11). Satan and sinful people want only to Control and subjugate you for their own elevation {Socialism}. Jesus lowered Himself beneath Man to die for sinners (He 2:6-8). Yet, Jesus did not live by His own power or might; He depended on the indwelling Spirit received at His baptism to Control His Flesh (Mt 3:16-17). He was beset with enemies throughout His entire ministry: Satan; Demons; Lost, even on the Stauros; and even believers such as Peter (Mt 4:1-10; 16:15-23; 27:38-44; Mk 5:1-10; He 12:1-4). These temptations centered around one theme: God will not save You once You die (Ps 16:8-10; Hab 2:4; Ro 1:17)!
Christ, ever our example in all things, did what we are implored to do; He prayed to the Father via the Spirit often throughout the night (He 5:7-10; 1Pe 2:21-25). He learned, experientially understood, our fears. He is able to comfort us because of His experiences. Thus, God providing Himself as the sacrifice for sin hated human sacrifice for sin because it was worthless. Satan loves it because he wants you to die so he does not have to go into the Lake of Fire; which he will (Re 20:10).
The Third Degree of Separation; Christ arose in a New Body; i.e., a new covenant body (2Co 5:17-19). This proved that His sacrifice paid for sin; that the Father approved (Ro 3:21-26; 1Co 15:42-57). He is the First Fruit of all who will arise (1Co 15:21-25). At the Rapture the dead in Christ will receive their bodies first and then those who are alive will be next. Our salvation will be complete in Him (1Th 4:13-18). Hallelujah! Except, Christ can never go back to the all encompassing intimacy He enjoyed before his monogenesis. He will always be in a body; He will always be like us (Re 21:1-7; 22:1-5). In fact, this was His purpose and His joy for which He endured the stauros {cross} (He 12:2). This is His, and the Father’s with the Spirit’s, eternal sacrifice in order to include US in this intimacy (Jn 17:20-26). We should stand in silenced awe at such an ongoing price the Trinity paid for us who were saved according to the Father’s will by His own election less anyone should boast (Ro 9:14-16, 19-24; Ep 1:3-14).
So, what should we who believe do? Paul clearly tells us (Ro 12:1-2). We, like Christ, are to present our selves a living sacrifices in worship which is our reasonable service. We are to grow in discernment to learn God’s will via exercise by rejecting the evil and choosing the good (He 5:11-14). Otherwise, one remains an infant who cannot effective use God’s word for maturing themselves. These quench the power of the Spirit and become tossed to and fro by changing winds of false doctrines (Ep 4:11-16; 1Th 5:12-24). This happens not by accident nor blind faith, which does not exist; but by study in God’s word to show one’s self approved unto God; one who will not be ashamed when standing before Christ at His Bema Seat (2Co 5:10; 2Ti 2:15-16). Is that too much to ask for what Christ has done and continues to sacrifice for each of us?