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Christ: Our rock of escape – Part 2

By Austen C. Ukachi
26 April 2020   |   4:07 am
The metaphor, Rock of Escape, which is the name David gave to the place he escaped from Saul, aptly describes who Jesus is to us and what His finished work at Calvary represents.

Ukachi

The metaphor, Rock of Escape, which is the name David gave to the place he escaped from Saul, aptly describes who Jesus is to us and what His finished work at Calvary represents. Consider for a while the many benefits we have in Christ. In 1 Corinthians 5:7, Jesus is called our Passover. That is another picture of our escape from death. As our Passover lamb, we have escaped from death.

In Christ, we have escaped from slavery of sin. Jesus said that ‘everyone who sins is a slave to sin (John 8:34). Jesus died to set us free from that slavery. On the cross, the power of this addiction was broken. Although we may still fall from time to time, the power of this addiction was broken, when Jesus set us free. Sin was our taskmaster under whose bondage we laboured, but in Christ, we have been set free (Romans‬

In Christ, we have escaped the condemnation of Satan. He who knew no sin was made sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God. “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit” (Romans‬

In Christ, we have escaped the judgment of God. When someone commits a crime, there is a penalty to be paid. In the same way, there is a penalty for breaking God’s law. ‘The wages of sin is death’ (Romans 6:23). God’s justice demands death for sin. God’s mercy provided the willing, perfect sacrifice for sin. On the cross, Jesus took the penalty in our place, so that we could be totally forgiven and our guilt could be taken away.

In Christ, we have escaped the wrath of God. Christ bore on Himself the wrath of God, which was meant for us. His cry of anguish in Matthew 27:46 reflects the extreme bitterness of the cup of wrath He was given. A cup is often the symbol of divine wrath against sin in the Old Testament (Is. 51:17, 22; Jer. 25:15–17, 27–29; Lam. 4:21, 22; Ezek. 23:31–34; Hab. 2:16).

In Christ, we have escaped the power of fear. Fear is a torment. Fear comes in various forms. The fear of death, the fear of the future and the fear of the unknown, among others. Fear originated from Satan. But Christ came to set us free from all kinds of fear. Jesus came, so that ‘by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death (Hebrews 2:14-15). We need no longer fear death. “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (II Timothy‬

In Christ, we have escaped from the bondage of Satan. “Therefore He says: “When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men.” (Now this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things” (Ephesians)‬

In Christ, we have escaped poverty. All of creation belongs to the Father. Jesus shares in all the inheritance of the Father. He forsook all these to die on the cross. Thus, through His poverty, we’re made rich (II Corinthians 8:9 NKJV). Contact:pastorcukachi@gmail.com.‬

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