DAY 5: THE MAN CHRIST JESUS II (JOURNEY INTO CHRIST)

 PHRONESIS DEVOTIONAL

30 DAYS DEVOTIONAL WITH PREACHER SAM

September 5, 2023.

Topic: THE MAN CHRIST JESUS II (JOURNEY INTO CHRIST)

Bible Reading: Isaiah 53:1-12

Verse for Meditation: Romans 5:18 NLT

Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone.

Yesterday we saw that when Adam committed the act of treason, the image of God was marred and man’s dominion was lost, though not completely because the fallen man still exercise dominion in many areas.

You know the Garden of Eden is the garden of pleasure, which can be seen as the place of God’s presence. And when God sent them out of the Garden of Eden, I thought they lost God’s presence. But that did not happen! Because after the fall, the sons of Adam, Cain and Abel made their sacrifices in God’s presence (Gen. 4:3, 4 & 16).

Actually what was really lost was the very life of God. Because the life of God is lost man cannot have full dominion, and he is under the curse of the law; toiling and sweating to survive.

Sin is not just to miss the mark or to fall short of God’s glorious standard, it is a debt that must be paid (Matt. 6:12). And the price for such a debt is death (Rom. 6:23).

God foreknew that man would make the wrong choice before he created the universe, and so He made a plan ahead to manifest Himself as a man to take up man’s punishment because no one was worthy for that; not even the angels (Rev. 5:1-10; Eph. 1:4; 2Tim. 1:9; 1Pet. 1:18-21).

It took one man for sin to enter and corrupt the world, it will also take another man; not just any man, but one that is worthy and sinless, to take away sins (1Cor. 15:21, 45; Rom. 5:18-19). And this is where the journey into redemption started; it started with a journey into Christ. Apostle Paul calls it the mystery of godliness (1Tim. 3:16). And that’s the message we preach; the man Christ Jesus!

Our devotional text captures a theological phraseology- Substitutionary Atonement (Isa. 53:4-6), of which Apostle peter quoted from (1Pet. 2:24), and reiterated (1Pet. 3:18). And it refers to the belief that Christ died as a substitute for sinners, taking the punishment of sin that we deserve, so that we can be reconciled to God.

Just like the instructions God gave to the Israelites regarding the Day of Atonement in Leviticus 16, Christ is our atoning sacrifice; our sins were laid on Him- He bore our sins.

The word, ‘atonement’ is best understood by these two theological words; expiation and propitiation.

Expiation refers to the removal of guilt through a payment of the penalty, while propitiation emphasizes the appeasement of God’s wrath and justice.

Propitiation therefore can be referred to what God does in response to our sin, whereas expiation refers to the forgiveness we realize because of Christ’s sacrifice.

Therefore, atonement simply means that a price has been paid for our sins that have the result of bringing sinful us together with Holy God. God and humanity are “at-one” now! Glory to God.

PRAYER:

FATHER, I THANK YOU FOR MANIFESTING IN THE FLESH IN ORDER TO BRING ME BACK TO YOU.

DECLARATION:

I NOW HAVE IN ME THE LIFE OF GOD. ALL THAT WAS LOST ON ACCOUNT OF THE FALL HAS BEEN RESTORED BACK TO ME.

Bible Reading Plan: John 4:39-5:24; Romans 5; Proverbs 5