”And by that will (God’s will), we have
been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all”
(Hebrews 10:10).
On the cross, Jesus, as God’s Lamb
took the whole of human depravity, absorbed it, bearing it to the end, totally
convinced that God will use it for salvation of many people, proving His wisdom
and power.
He is sovereign, after all.
The cross starts with God. Isaiah, the prophet has a vision, described in
chapter 6 of his book. God made him “see” a few things:
-that He, God, is on His majestic, everlasting throne (the king Uzziah died
that year); that He is a holy God – the angelic beings were
proclaiming/singing/worshipping: “Holy, Holy, Holy”; that He has the means to
clean Isaiah’s “un-holiness” and send him as a messenger to the people. Our God
is a holy God.
Now, from the beginning God’s plan was to create a people (not a nation, not
based on ethnicity) for Himself. [Christ] “…who
gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself
a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good…” (Titus 2:14).
That was the plan from the
beginning.
“For he chose us in him before the
creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight…” (Ephesians
1:4)…In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in
accordance with the riches of God’s grace…” (Ephesians 1:7).
Christ’s sacrifice was pleasing God
(Hebrews 10:5-8), sufficient, and final…once for all (v.10).
We were brought in a position of
being (perfected) sanctified…holy (v.14).
Practically, we are being sanctified (growing towards Christian maturity).
”…I urge you, brothers…to offer your bodies as living
sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God–this is your spiritual act of worship. Do
not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the
renewing of your mind.” (Romans 12:1, 2). Let us continuously offer to God
our spiritual act of worship!