FIRST REASON:
THE BLOOD OF CHRIST LIES AT THE HEART OF GOD IN THE ETERNITY PAST
THE BLOOD OF CHRIST LIES AT THE HEART OF GOD IN THE ETERNITY PAST
1 Corinthians 2:7, 8 "But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the world unto our glory: which none of the princes of the world knew."
1 Peter 1:19, 20 "But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you."
Revelation 13:8 "The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world."
Consider the expressions, "ordained before the foundation of the world unto our glory," "foreordained before the foundation of the world," "slain from the foundation of the world," and learn that the Blood of the Cross had its inception in God's heart from all eternity before it ever had its reception in the heart of man in time. The Cross is the Transcending Cross for redemption far transcends creation. Creation cost God His breath; Redemption, His Blood. Creation was the pouring out of God's language; Redemption was the outpouring of God's Life. The one is God in speech, the other is God in sacrifice. God can and may make more worlds but God can never make another Cross. "We are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all" (Hebrews 10:10).
The Cross alone can measure the divine attributes and nature of God. Can omnipotence be measured? Nay, not by any measuring rod of man but still it can be measured. How? By the measure of the Cross. The Blood of the Cross is the utmost of omnipotence. Can omniscience be fathomed? Nay, not by any plum line of man, but still it can be measured. How? By the plum line of the Cross. The Blood of the Cross is the ultimate of omniscience.
Can eternal love be circumscribed? Nay, not by any circle of man, but still it can be circumscribed. How? By the perimeter of the Cross. The Blood of the Cross is the ultra of eternal love. On the summit of Calvary Christ over topped the topless steeps of divine love for me. Hallelujah! All the attributes of God rise to their full level in the life-tide of Calvary. The Cross is the Transcending Cross.
Again, the Cross is the Descending Cross. It was rooted in the heart of God long before it was planted on Golgotha's hill crag. It was set on the hills of glory long before it was set up by the hand of man on Calvary. The Cross was an outward public demonstration of what took place in the heart of God in eternity, and it is a bleeding heart that is unveiled. This is thrice-holy ground. No wonder the blazing orb refused to light up that sacred scene and nature convulsed at such an unveiling. The Cross is not the progeny of time, it is the offspring of eternity. The Cross is the Descending Cross.
Further, the Cross is the Ascending Cross. If God reached down and saved men by the Cross and He did, then by the Cross men can ascend to God and they do. The arms of the Cross embrace the two eternities and the Top of the Cross reaches the Eternal One Himself. The Holiest of All in the Blessed City of God is the tree of life, a healing tree, the eternal manifestation of the Old Cross of Calvary. The Cross is the Ascending Cross.
The Blood is the blood of a transcending, descending, ascending Cross of a transcending, descending, ascending Christ Who died for us, rose again for us, ascended for us, lives for us, intercedes for us and is coming for us. Bless His Worthy Name!
In Revelation John records his vision of the throne of the everlasting God. "And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald." Revelation 4:3.
The Eternal One, "the Lord God Almighty which was and is and is to come" is here described as "like a jasper and a sardine stone." The modern jasper stone is opaque but the jasper of the ancients, we are told, was a bright transparent stone, representing to the eye a variety of lively colors. The sardine (translated in the Revised Version margin as "ruby") is said to be deep red.
To the eye of John through the transparent jasper there appeared right in the heart of the Throne a deep red, for at the heart of the glorious perfections of the everlasting God there lies the deep red of His eternal redemptive purpose.
So I believe in the Atoning Blood of Christ because that Blood lies at the heart of God in the eternity past.
1 Peter 1:19, 20 "But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you."
Revelation 13:8 "The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world."
Consider the expressions, "ordained before the foundation of the world unto our glory," "foreordained before the foundation of the world," "slain from the foundation of the world," and learn that the Blood of the Cross had its inception in God's heart from all eternity before it ever had its reception in the heart of man in time. The Cross is the Transcending Cross for redemption far transcends creation. Creation cost God His breath; Redemption, His Blood. Creation was the pouring out of God's language; Redemption was the outpouring of God's Life. The one is God in speech, the other is God in sacrifice. God can and may make more worlds but God can never make another Cross. "We are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all" (Hebrews 10:10).
The Cross alone can measure the divine attributes and nature of God. Can omnipotence be measured? Nay, not by any measuring rod of man but still it can be measured. How? By the measure of the Cross. The Blood of the Cross is the utmost of omnipotence. Can omniscience be fathomed? Nay, not by any plum line of man, but still it can be measured. How? By the plum line of the Cross. The Blood of the Cross is the ultimate of omniscience.
Can eternal love be circumscribed? Nay, not by any circle of man, but still it can be circumscribed. How? By the perimeter of the Cross. The Blood of the Cross is the ultra of eternal love. On the summit of Calvary Christ over topped the topless steeps of divine love for me. Hallelujah! All the attributes of God rise to their full level in the life-tide of Calvary. The Cross is the Transcending Cross.
Again, the Cross is the Descending Cross. It was rooted in the heart of God long before it was planted on Golgotha's hill crag. It was set on the hills of glory long before it was set up by the hand of man on Calvary. The Cross was an outward public demonstration of what took place in the heart of God in eternity, and it is a bleeding heart that is unveiled. This is thrice-holy ground. No wonder the blazing orb refused to light up that sacred scene and nature convulsed at such an unveiling. The Cross is not the progeny of time, it is the offspring of eternity. The Cross is the Descending Cross.
Further, the Cross is the Ascending Cross. If God reached down and saved men by the Cross and He did, then by the Cross men can ascend to God and they do. The arms of the Cross embrace the two eternities and the Top of the Cross reaches the Eternal One Himself. The Holiest of All in the Blessed City of God is the tree of life, a healing tree, the eternal manifestation of the Old Cross of Calvary. The Cross is the Ascending Cross.
The Blood is the blood of a transcending, descending, ascending Cross of a transcending, descending, ascending Christ Who died for us, rose again for us, ascended for us, lives for us, intercedes for us and is coming for us. Bless His Worthy Name!
In Revelation John records his vision of the throne of the everlasting God. "And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald." Revelation 4:3.
The Eternal One, "the Lord God Almighty which was and is and is to come" is here described as "like a jasper and a sardine stone." The modern jasper stone is opaque but the jasper of the ancients, we are told, was a bright transparent stone, representing to the eye a variety of lively colors. The sardine (translated in the Revised Version margin as "ruby") is said to be deep red.
To the eye of John through the transparent jasper there appeared right in the heart of the Throne a deep red, for at the heart of the glorious perfections of the everlasting God there lies the deep red of His eternal redemptive purpose.
So I believe in the Atoning Blood of Christ because that Blood lies at the heart of God in the eternity past.
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