God had to redeem us in a way that was just. He is a just God. Since God told Adam that death must come if he sinned, then God had to use death (Jesus') to justify us!
Justify= To make just or to make right
Jesus died a death that we deserved to make us right with God! Our sin demanded death. God took the punishment. HE TOOK THE PUNISHMENT! Did you hear me!
If you get a chance, read Isaiah 53:4-8
8 comments:
Ya, but isn't "death must come if he sinned" just an arbitrary rule from God?
Can you word the question in a different way. sorry, having a hard time understanding the question
God said "death must come if he sinned". Well, why must death come if he sinned? Isn't that just an arbitrary rule that God made up? Couldn't God have chosen from an infinite number of other options, too? Perhaps something a little less drastic than "death"?
Dear Anonymous,
I have been thinking a lot about how to answer your question and have been praying that I would help you see something here that would help you. I am not sure who you are, but if you would like to have a private conversation (not on a blog wall) you are always welcome to email me directly. My address is joeltippitt@yahoo.com
But I want to answer this question you have in a way I believe you need to hear (I need to hear this too)... I'm still working though it myself.
Ez. 18: 20 says this, "The soul who sins is the one who will die." This statement can be misundestood as a statement of anger, but it really is a proclimation of God's mercy. Mercy is not getting something that we deserve (ie.. Sin... we should get God's wrath and eternal seperation/// Instead, because of Jesus, He took the punishment.)Ez. 18:20 is a statement of mercy because it means that sin must have an end, so that I can have an opportunity to regain what I forfeited.
Death is the payment that God was asking for, but the scarifice was one that He had picked... II Corinthians 5:21 "God made him who had not sin to BE SIN for us, so that IN HIM we might become the righteousness of God."
God was no distant observer, but a participant. He did not send Jesus to do what He would not do, but God Himself acted through Jesus to bring about redemption.
I hope that this helps some. I would love to talk to you personally. I do better in conversation, and maybe we can talk. Email me if you would like.
Thanks for taking the time to answer.
Who says that we actually deserve death? Like you said, death is just the payment that God was asking for, but why ask for death? There is no significant difference between “God was asking for” and “He had picked”. And it was still God’s arbitrary choice to send himself to die over rules he himself made. Even if sin must come to an end (assuming it even needs to), Jesus dying for our sins doesn’t stop us from sinning. It just leads God (again, by his own arbitrary choice) to decide to ignore our sins.
Dear Anonymous,
I want to respond to your question, but I want to put some thought into it. I can't respond right now because I am busy, but I will soon. I just did not want you to think I did not care. Get back to ya soon. Really appreciate your honest questions. I hope that you are looking into this like me with an open mind wanting truth.
Thinking with you....
One More Quick Thought Anonymous,
If you are a reader and want a great book on some of the questions that you are asking, pick up "He Loves Me" by Wayne Jacobsen
Ok, thanks. No rush on your response.
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