“It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died–more than that, who was raised to life–is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” (Romans 8:33b-34 NIV)
When you go to the same grocery store every week, you usually will begin to know the cashiers well. They will learn how you like your groceries put in the bag, and they will do it for you. Now in most places, we have to pay for the bags. So if we say we don’t want bags, they cashiers don’t bother loading up the groceries for us. The groceries just stay sitting on the cashier’s conveyor belt.
It seems like all good things change. Not so with Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Heb. 13:8 NIV)
As a result of our unchanging God, Salvation and eternal life are secure for the believer because of the following seven works of Jesus Christ:
1. Christ came to this Earth: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6 NIV) (See alsoMatthew 1:18-23,Luke2:7,Matthew 2:11-12)
2. Christ died for our sin. His life was delivered as payment for our transgressions: “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5 NIV); “And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” (Hebrews 10:10 NIV)
3. Christ was raised from death to life: “But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. ‘Don’t be alarmed,’ he said. ‘You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, “He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.”‘” (Mark 16:4-7 NIV). He was raised for our justification.
4. Christ is seated at the right hand of God. In our passage today, Paul tells us Jesus, “…is at the right hand of God” (Rom. 8:34 NIV). We also know from Mark 16:19: “After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God.” (NIV) If by comparison we look at the temple or the tabernacle as described in the Old Testament, we see no seat — no place to sit. Why? Because the work of the Old Testament priest would never be finished. However, just before He died, our Great High Priest Jesus Christ said: “It is finished.” (John 19:30 NIV). So why is Jesus seated? Because the work is finished!
5. We can ask our Heavenly Father in his name: “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” (John 14:13 NIV)
6. Christ is interceding for us: “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.” (Heb. 6:19-20 NIV) Did you pray this morning? If not, you should have. But not to worry, whether you did or did not — because Christ is right now making intercessions for us to to be in lawful right for us to come back to God.
InJohn 10, Jesus illustrates how the shepherd cares for his flock, protecting them from weather, thieves, and predatory animals. He loves and shields them, and if necessary, he would even lay down his life for them. Jesus is the good shepherd to His believers just as the shepherds were of their livestock. A shepherd tended his flock day and night. He would gather the sheep into a sheepfold at night for their protection. The sheepfold was a pen, a cave, or an area backed by stone walls. Since there were no doors, the shepherd would often sleep or sit in the opening, ready to guard his sheep from harm.
Being different than a hired keeper who might run away in the face of danger, the flock belonged to the shepherd who would stay and defend them. He had a genuine loving concern for what belonged to him.
7. Jesus Christ went to our Heavenly Father’s house to prepare a place for us: “My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” (John 14:2,3 NIV)
These seven works of Jesus Christ are the reasons why no one — before God — can condemn the acts of His chosen people. We have been forgiven. Period.
Let’s pray: Heavenly Father, thank You. May we never forget your extraordinary strategy to save us through Jesus Christ…As it’s written in Hebrew 4:16: “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (NIV). In Jesus’ name, amen.
Sophie Chun Ngeth
San Bernardino, CA