“The Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6).
In our last visit we considered what Paul said in Romans 8 about God’s plan determined. Now let’s consider God’s plan delivered.
The heart of God’s plan delivered is wrapped up in the person of Jesus Christ, God’s Son. In Romans 8:32 it says, “He who did not spare his own Son…gave him up for us all.” Remember, this is His One and Only Son with whom He enjoyed an eternity of blissful filial love.
In giving His Son, from what did He not spare Him? Verse 34 says that Jesus Christ died. God didn’t spare His Son from dying for the sin of mankind. In 2 Corinthians 5:21 it says, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
In order for Jesus Christ to take upon Himself the sin of the world He had to be so fully identified with us that He would be tempted in all points like as we are, yet remain free from the stain of sinning. That’s why God sent Him “in the likeness of sinful man.” We will look at this phrase more fully when we consider the question, what does this chapter teach us about God the Son?
God sent His Son to do for man what the law couldn’t do, free us from the law of sin and death, and empower us to live in such a way that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us. Based on this commitment, motivated by His love, God the Father works out what is good in and through all we encounter in life.
The ultimate good God has in mind is for us to be conformed to the likeness of His Son. God delivers on this plan using all we experience in life.
We will never fully understand the great sacrifice God the Father and God the Son endured when the sin of the world was placed on Jesus Christ so He could make atonement for us. What we do understand should cause us to humbly bow, worship and praise Him for all He did.
