1228. From Condemnation to Acclamation

From Condemnation to Acclamation

"Therefore let all the House of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, Whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ" (Act_2:36).

1. Christ in His ascension passed from the Father's frown to the Father's favor. He Who had been condemned because of our sins, became acclaimed as our Saviour.

(1) Jesus Christ when He went to Calvary, passed under the displeasure of the father.

The cry of the Lord Jesus as He passed under the wrath of God is set forth in many Scriptures–In Psalms 22 we read:

"My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me? why art Thou so far from helping Me, and from the words of My roaring?

"O My God, I cry in the daytime, but Thou nearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent" (Psa_22:1-2).

In Psalms 69 we read:

"Save Me, O God; for the waters are come in unto My soul.

"I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow Me" (Psa_69:1-2).

The cry of Jonah from the belly of the fish is descriptive of this hour.

Jonah said:

"For Thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all Thy billows and Thy waves passed over me.

"Then I said, I am cast out of Thy sight; yet I will look again toward Thy holy Temple.

"The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round-about, the weeds were wrapped about my head.

"I went down to the bottoms of the mountains: the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast Thou brought up my life from corruption, O Lord my God" (Jon_2:3-6).

God laid our sins upon Christ. He made His soul an offering for sin. God placed upon Christ the chastisement which was ours.

When Jesus Christ hung upon the Cross there was darkness upon the face of the earth. He went round and round the cycle of His anguish, suffering the sentence of the banishment justly due to us.

(2) Jesus Christ in His ascension was acclaimed a Prince and a Saviour. If Christ had been a fraud, if He had been a sinner, God would never have raised Him from the dead; God would never have given Him a place at His own right hand.

When Christ ascended up on high, the Father proclaimed Him both Lord and Christ. From the very throne of God the Holy Spirit was poured forth that He might magnify Christ among men.

2. The believer, in union with Christ in His ascension, has passed from Divine condemnation to Divine acceptance and acclamation. The unsaved are under the ban of God. They are dwelling in the far country. They are children of wrath. God cannot and does not accept their person.

If God hid His face from Christ, when He took the sinner's place and suffered in the sinner's stead, surely He has hidden His face from all those who bear their own sins. The wrath of God abides upon the wicked.

A believer passes from condemnation to acceptation because the Father accepts into His presence chamber those who receive the Lord Jesus. "Through Him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father." We who once dwelt in the far country, are made nigh by the Blood of Christ. No one, now, can lay anything to the charge of God's elect. The saints of God are chosen of God and are precious.

We who once were disclaimed are acclaimed. "Wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God."

Even the Lord Jesus said, "Go, tell My brethren." Thus in Christ Jesus, we have ascended into place of favor. We may now draw nigh in the full assurance of faith. We may look up into the face of God, and say, "Abba, Father."

Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR