Christ crucified on a Cross was a legal work according to God's law

[Charlie24]

Christ took upon Himself all the sins on mankind, even the most horrible sins committed by man. Christ dying on the Cross was a legal work according to God's law, and was mandatory, only the death of the Cross would satisfy God's law. The only way man's justification could be made possible.

In the Law of Moses a person that committed a crime worthy of death was to be put to death and hanged on a tree. This was the penalty of God for the worst of sins, and the reason Christ would have to be hung on a tree. It was a legal matter determined before the foundation of the world.

Deut. 21:22-23

"And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree:

His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God that thy land be not defiled, which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance."

Christ was born under the Law, and was subject to the Law, He kept it perfectly. He had to atone for every sin of every kind, even the most vilest of sins. Under the Law this meant Christ must hang from a tree. No other way of death would satisfy the Law of God.

God could speak the universe into existence, but He could not speak redemption into existence. God abides by a set of laws that He created and our redemption was set in order according to those laws. Everything He does is within the boundaries of the laws He created.

So the Cross of Christ was a legal work, that paid a legal debt, and was a legal payment, which made it possible for man to be legally justified.

The crime of man's sin against God was a legal debt that must be paid by man. Man could not pay that debt, so God out of mercy and grace made a plan for us to escape that debt through the sacrifice of His Son in our place. "By Grace through faith are ye saved."

 

[Aaron]

You're definitely on the right track. But to be more accurate, the law of Moses foreshadowed the Cross.

Hebrews 3:5 NLT - Moses was certainly faithful in God's house as a servant. His work was an illustration of the truths God would reveal later.

Hebrews 9:8-9 NLT - By these regulations the Holy Spirit revealed that the entrance to the Most Holy Place was not freely open as long as the Tabernacle and the system it represented were still in use. This is an illustration pointing to the present time. For the gifts and sacrifices that the priests offer are not able to cleanse the consciences of the people who bring them.

Hebrews 8:4-5 NLT - ...there already are priests who offer the gifts required by the law. They serve in a system of worship that is only a copy, a shadow of the real one in heaven.

You're right, that Christ was, as a man, was born under the law. Though Jon is quick to point out that it was the Romans that carried out the sentence of death, it was the Jewish court that sentenced Him. The Roman court found no fault in Him and would have set Him free. It was the Jewish court that called for Him to be hung on a tree according to Moses, and Paul, by inspiration, affirms that Christ was more than cursed, He became the curse.

But not legally...divinely. Legally Christ was innocent.

Christ's priesthood isn't according to the law, as He, according to the flesh, descended from Judah. Only Levi's descendents could be priests according to the law. The work He did as our High Priest was after a better and divine order. His work was in accordance with His identity as the Son of God. Because He is the Son, He is our priest. (Hebrews 5:5-6)

So it wasn't a legal work, it was a divine work. A work of love. It was the work He eternally exists to do. It is His identity. And if there is any truth to the account of His condescention to the weak faith of Thomas, He yet bears the marks of that tree.

 

[Aaron]

 

[Charlie24]

You're definitely on the right track. But to be more accurate, the law of Moses foreshadowed the Cross.

Hebrews 3:5 NLT - Moses was certainly faithful in God's house as a servant. His work was an illustration of the truths God would reveal later.

Hebrews 9:8-9 NLT - By these regulations the Holy Spirit revealed that the entrance to the Most Holy Place was not freely open as long as the Tabernacle and the system it represented were still in use. This is an illustration pointing to the present time. For the gifts and sacrifices that the priests offer are not able to cleanse the consciences of the people who bring them.

Hebrews 8:4-5 NLT - ...there already are priests who offer the gifts required by the law. They serve in a system of worship that is only a copy, a shadow of the real one in heaven.

You're right, that Christ was, as a man, was born under the law. Though Jon is quick to point out that it was the Romans that carried out the sentence of death, it was the Jewish court that sentenced Him. The Roman court found no fault in Him and would have set Him free. It was the Jewish court that called for Him to be hung on a tree according to Moses, and Paul, by inspiration, affirms that Christ was more than cursed, He became the curse.

But not legally...divinely. Legally Christ was innocent.

Christ's priesthood isn't according to the law, as He, according to the flesh, descended from Judah. Only Levi's descendents could be priests according to the law. The work He did as our High Priest was after a better and divine order. His work was in accordance with His identity as the Son of God. Because He is the Son, He is our priest. (Hebrews 5:5-6)

So it wasn't a legal work, it was a divine work. A work of love. It was the work He eternally exists to do. It is His identity. And if there is any truth to the account of His condescention to the weak faith of Thomas, He yet bears the marks of that tree.

We see it differently, I see a legal work in all aspects by divine decree.

 

[Aaron]

You need to see the law as a reflection of Christ's eternal mission, not the source or the governor of it.

 

[Charlie24]

You need to see the law as a reflection of Christ's eternal mission, not the source or the governor of it.

If salvation is seen differently, then all of Scripture will be seen differently.

That's where we are, Aaron, we will agree on very little in Scripture, if that.

 

[Aaron]

Which came first, the Promise of Redemption or the law?

 

[Charlie24]

Which came first, the Promise of Redemption or the law?

Redemption is the law before the foundation of the world.

Man knew about it in Genesis 3.

 

[Aaron]

Redemption is the law before the foundation of the world.

Let me rephrase...

Which came first, the Promise of a Redeemer or Moses?

 

[Charlie24]

Let me rephrase...

Which came first, the Promise of a Redeemer or Moses?

I have a better question.

When Paul said that He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, were we chosen individually for salvation or were we chosen as a group for a specific plan of redemption to be conformed into Christ?

 

[Aaron]

LOL. I'll answer my question.

The Promise came first. The law was added and served as a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ. The law isn't the mission of Christ, it is the blueprint, the model of His mission (Heb. 8:5).

 

[Charlie24]

LOL. I'll answer my question.

The Promise came first. The law was added and served as a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ. The law isn't the mission of Christ, it is the blueprint, the model of His mission (Heb. 8:5).

Of course the promise came long before Moses, but what about my question on redemption?

 

[Aaron]

Of course the promise came long before Moses, but what about my question on redemption?

We've been around and around on that already. You know what I think, and I know what you think. God foreknew individuals, you say He foreknew a plan. So how does that relate to the OP?

 

[Charlie24]

We've been around and around on that already. You know what I think, and I know what you think. God foreknew individuals, you say He foreknew a plan. So how does that relate to the OP?

We were discussing redemption, isn't that the purpose of the Cross in the op?

 

[Aaron]

We were discussing redemption, isn't that the purpose of the Cross in the op?

I mean, what is the point you're wanting to make?

 

[kyredneck]

I have a better question.

No, you don't. You're avoiding the question.

LOL. I'll answer my question.

@Charlie24's CDS prevents him from ever leaving his box.

 

[Paleouss]

Christ took upon Himself all the sins on mankind

Greetings Charlie. Hope and peace to you and yours.

I have only read your OP and have not read any other posts.

Regarding the quote above, I have two points.

#1 Christ took upon himself, sin itself (the power of sin Eph 6:12; 1Cor 15:24,26; 1Pet 3:22; Col 2:15; Rom 8:3). This is His cosmic triumph. This taking on of sin itself was one of the purposes of the Incarnation, death and resurrection. This taking on of the 'power of sin' is the accomplishment of conquering the epicenter of this power directly. It is a conquering of the power of sin that affects all mankind and was done for all mankind and is represented in the prophecy of Mashiach ben David. This allows all mankind the opportunity to come to Christ, for it conquers the reign and grip of the power of sin through the conquering of sin itself.

#2. The Law was a precursor to Christ to first “[confine] all under sin” (Gal 3:22) so that “the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe” (Gal 3:22). Thus, the law was needed to ‘coral’ the individual sin that was not being counted and to confine all sinners under the law (Gal 3:22). Because God decided and decreed that he would be not only the “justifier” (Rom 3:26) but also “just” (Rom 3:26, Psa 7:11). Another purpose of the incarnation, death and resurrection was to fulfill the law God would give in His stratagem to show he is "just". This is done by fulfilling and completing the Moral Law through mercy (that is, Jesus Christ).

#3. All that being said, another purpose of the Incarnation, death and resurrection was therefore to "complete" the law so that "[it is] of faith that [it might be] according to grace" (Rom 4:16). This is represented in the prophecy of Mashiach ben Joseph. After the culmination of times, Christ “gave himself for [us]” (Gal 2:20) by giving “His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45) as a “propitiation by His blood, through faith” (Rom 3:24). This was accomplished by “committing no sin” (1Pet 2:22) while He lived and offering “Himself without spot to God” (Heb 9:14) so that He then could sacrifice himself “to be sin for us” (2Cor 5:21) by bearing “our sins in His own body on the tree” (1Pet 2:24, Gal 6:2). He was therefore “wounded for our transgressions” (Isa 53:5) and “bruised for our iniquities” (Isa 53:5) for taking on “the chastisement for our peace” (Isa 53:5). All this was satisfying God's Moral Law as God chose to show He was "just" (Rom 3:6) through the instrument of His law.

God could speak the universe into existence, but He could not speak redemption into existence.

I would probably disagree with how you wrote this. In my view God could most certainly "speak redemption into existence" if He so chose. It's just that God did not so choose to just speak it. He chose to be the the “justifier” (Rom 3:26) and “just” (Rom 3:26, Psa 7:11). He chose to show His nature. Thus, He gave the Law so that His stratagem would show His divine nature more clearly, imo. His stratagem was to show that he was 'just' through Christ working redemption through His just Law.

So the Cross of Christ was a legal work, that paid a legal debt, and was a legal payment, which made it possible for man to be legally justified.

I would agree that this was only one of the purposes of the cross. Another was my #1 above.

The crime of man's sin against God was a legal debt that must be paid by man.

The "must" word is bugging me. For me, the only "must" that there is, is supported by the fact that this is how God wanted it, i.e., to show His justice. God is in no way obligated to some external law he must obey. It's just that the Law, which is a reflection of Him, is the avenue He chose to take.

In other words, God decided that bringing redemption through the giving of a Law so we could be seen more clearly that He is "just".


Keep seeking God's truth as if it were hidden treasure

 

[JesusFan]

I have a better question.

When Paul said that He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, were we chosen individually for salvation or were we chosen as a group for a specific plan of redemption to be conformed into Christ?

Pst would see it as being on an individual basis , died for indivual sinners in their stead, not for the group plan

 

[Charlie24]

Pst would see it as being on an individual basis , died for indivual sinners in their stead, not for the group plan

God's plan of redemption is for all who will believe. Not for chosen individuals.

Christ dying on the Cross will benefit no one unless they believe.

We who believe were chosen for a specific plan to be conformed into the image of Christ.

 

[JesusFan]

God's plan of redemption is for all who will believe. Not for chosen individuals.

Christ dying on the Cross will benefit no one unless they believe.

We who believe were chosen for a specific plan to be conformed into the image of Christ.

Jesus death was for the sins of individuals , those whom He intended to get saved , all of the ones granted to Him by the Father