For He made Him who knew no sin...Part 2

2 Cor 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
It's taking awhile to get back to working on this particular blog. Issues in the personal and work life as well as needing to really dig a bit deeper than usual in writing about this particular verse and what is contained within it. I want to start off first by stating that for eons many have attempted to tackle this verse who I am sure are way more insightful and intelligent than I will ever be. My purpose is not to define this verse but to just open it up for exploration in hopes that it touches the heart and soul and helps us to come to an even better understanding of the God who is beyond words. I always feel like attempting these blog posts is a little bit ridiculous in the sense of who am I (or who is any of us) to be arrogant or vain enough to think that we have a clue about these matters and then present ourselves and our words as somehow being meaningful and significant enough to matter to anyone, especially to God.
All I know is that something inside me is touched by these verses and feels compelled to espouse something about them. So please keep in mind that I am by no means an expert or a theological scholar on any of these matters but that I'm just as regular a guy as they come. My hope is to somehow convey to the reader what touches my heart and soul and also be (and this is very important!) correct in the doctrine espoused. The last thing I want to do is walk anyone down the wrong path of Biblical doctrine. I have more than enough to answer for and I really don't want to add guiding people into darkness as part of my having to make an account to God. I've done more than enough of that in my lifetime and I want no part of that any more.
I've read some other writings on this verse in order to see what other's have to say on the issue and the best stuff I found used the rest of Scripture to support the writings. That's always the best method of Bible study because God cannot contradict Himself. If doctrine isn't supported by the rest of Scripture then it needs to be thrown out. A lot of church tradition has twisted many a core doctrinal issue and I see many church goers who just digest what they've been fed from the pulpits and from years of church tradition that frankly is plain wrong. This is why spending the time to really study the Bible in it's context and it's self sufficient support is so important. Especially in this very strange and troubling time we live in. I see before me the church itself becoming splintered and divisive on so many topical and worldly issues. I also see the ramping up of calling into question the sanity, intelligence and overall morality of those of us who stand upon the word of God for our stance on these worldly issues and it's disturbingly apparent that it's going to get much worse. We are definitely in the days of our faith coming under attack like we have never seen before. It's so important that we are secure and established in the truth of God's word, not to be arrogant (I've been seeing so much of that as well) to the world that we are called to show the love of Christ to but to be able to stand against the wiles of the devil; to understand that our fight is not against the flesh and blood of those who oppose our faith and our God but that we are now more than I can ever remember, in a raging battle against the enemy. I see it happening in my personal life, my work life, in my family and I can't turn the TV on or read the news or go on Facebook or Twitter without the attacks just being thrown in my face. It is everywhere I look. And sad to say it is in the church as well. Read the reports about the church being divided in America over the same-sex marriage issue and we are seeing before our very eyes those who are in the church making a stand on one side or another.
The Bible prophesied these days and these events. So my hope in my own life and in those I am writing to is to be sure that our stand is on the right side, which in my opinion is on the side of the truth of God's word.
It is in this spirit that I want to attempt to enter into what feels like the holy of holies.
This verse is in a sense, taking us to the heart of God; the Holy of Holies.
We already looked at the Biblical basis of Jesus being fully God and fully man and being without sin.
So let's take a look at what it means that Jesus was made to be sin.
Once again, it is of the greatest importance that any stance be made on Scripture itself. Not on church traditions or on sentimental "profound" wisdom from the pulpit.Romans 8:3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh,
In Pauls magnum opus; the book of Romans; Paul writes about the issue of how man cannot be saved from sin or from the punishment for sin based on man's compliance with God's law. In this verse Paul writes that the perfect law of God was actually weakened by our flesh. That when law meets flesh it falls apart and can do nothing to save the flesh from it's sin. That when law meets flesh, flesh ends up desiring to do exactly what the law tells the flesh not to do. And flesh also tries to do the work of meeting the righteous requirement of the law but in doing so ends up violating the law with it's own arrogance and pride. It's a Catch 22. Since the beginning man has tried to appease God based on man's works and man just doesn't seem to get it that this is the greatest exercise in futility of all time. We are so accustomed to everything about our lives being performance based that the idea of not being able to bring anything that is good about us to the table is just about as offensive to us as, let's say the cross of Calvary. And even for many of us as Christians we learn about the gift of grace that comes by faith and that there is no good thing that is in our flesh and that all of us have sinned against a holy God and yet something within our flesh still clings to the lie that we have something of value to offer to God on our behalf that is somehow apart from God. The sooner we get to the place of truth; that in us there is nothing good apart from God ;that our flesh is desperately wicked and is completely depraved, then the sooner we will be dwelling in that glorious truth of what it was He really did for us. In order for us to understand His work on the cross we must see it in the light (or darkness) of the total depravity of our sinful flesh. What Jesus accomplished was not just a nice thing to do or an interesting footnote in history. It was the complete fulfillment of the righteous requirement of God's law on the penalty of sin. The cross shows us many things but unless we see the truth of the total unholiness of our flesh then we just won't ever really get what took place there. And it is ONLY in that place where we can even begin to get an understanding of the truth of this God we speak of.
So the law cannot save us. Our works, our best efforts cannot save us. So what the law was incapable of ever doing and what we are incapable of ever being able to do, God did it for us. And how did He do this?
We all seem to know that Jesus died for our sins. But what are these verses telling us about how that happened? What does Jesus dying for our sins really mean?
It tells us that God did this by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the eternal God to this earth in the likeness of sinful flesh.
Does this idea of likeness sound at all familiar to you?
Genesis 1:26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness;...
27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
Every single one of us bears the image; the likeness of God. Now don't get this confused as the new agers get it; none of us are God. Whenever someone tells you that "we're all God man" just ask them to create anything, an apple, a dog, a thread of yarn. Ask them to make it out of nothing. Ask them to speak it into existence. Consider the man being God test a failure and for those who still believe it, go and buy them a straitjacket.
Look at it this way. When you are watching a Tom Hanks movie in your living room, say, Castaway, you are seeing an image of Tom Hanks in your living room. Obviously it isn't the real life in the moment Tom Hanks in your living room, but it is an exact image of the real Tom Hanks. It is in a sense, a likeness of Tom Hanks.
And with that image we really only get to see but a glimpse of the real Tom Hanks. Even if we saw Tom in home movie footage it would still only be but a portion of the real Tom. In order for us to get to know the real Tom Hanks we would all have to live with him and see him day in and day out. And even then, we still never get to know the complete person because as the Bible says, we only see the outward appearance.
But this is the point; inasmuch as all of us bear the image and likeness of God we are all immeasurably so far from the holiness and righteousness of God that if a glimpse of that image and likeness ever gets through then all we are ever seeing from one another is exactly that; a quick, momentary glimpse of the divine.
And the reason for that is that the original image and likeness has become corrupted by sin.
1 Cor: 15:53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
Our flesh has been corrupted by sin. In order for us to enter into the Kingdom of God, to go to heaven, a pretty drastic change must take place. This corrupt flesh must be transformed into flesh that is no longer corrupt. Now try to incorrupt yourself. Which is what many religions teach that we can accomplish by living lives of holiness. The Bible tells us something completely different. No matter what your church or religious tradition has taught you, if they have taught you anything other than atonement comes only through the cross of Christ, they have taught you a lie. Any teaching that places any aspect of salvation based on man's works is a lie.
This is the very claim about our beliefs that has the world as stirred up as it is. We are hated and reviled because we agree with the claims of God's word that the ONLY way to heaven, the only way to be right with God is through the way, the truth and the life that IS Jesus Christ and that way through is ONLY through that cross. This is supposed to offend the majority and it does. The way is too narrow to allow for all these other beliefs. The way is as narrow as the width of a savior taking the punishment on a cross. What is amazing is that it's enough space for everyone but not everyone will go that way. Most will insist on doing it on their own terms. And here is where it really ticks people off; those who go any other than way than through Jesus will end up not in heaven but instead in hell.
Sue and I watched a 2 hour program on ABC last night that had Barbara Walters going around the world asking all kinds of folks about where heaven is and how do you get there. It was as I expected it to be. Barbara spoke with the Dalai Lama (who by the way is a pretty funny guy), Richard Gere, Maria Shiver, people who had near death experiences, mainstream Muslims and Muslim terrorists, Rabbi's and the primary Christian representative of the show, Joel Osteen. And take a wild guess how this mish mash of a mess went? Exactly where you thought it would go. Not one person on the show made a stand for the claims of God's word. In fact the only other "Christian" representative basically used the false doctrine of universalism to state the "Christian" perspective. To Osteens credit, he did say that he believes that the only way to heaven is via Christ but when asked about those who believe otherwise he went into his all too familiar aw shucks, who am I to judge anyone, non-commital, beating around the bush routine taking the easy and inoffensive way out. Osteen doesn't want to offend his cash cow which are the thousands who flock to his church and the tens of thousands who watch him on TV and buy his books. I would hate to be in his shoes when it comes time to make an account before God. Like I said before, the image of the true God coming through any of us is fleeting at best.
I'm not sure how the mechanics of these things work but somehow in a similar way that we are created in the image and likeness of God, Jesus Christ becomes the likeness of sinful man. Don't ask me to explain it any other way than Jesus was fully God and fully man but was without sin. That as a man He took on the likeness of the rest of us sinners but He himself was not, ever a sinner. Our flesh is corrupt. His flesh was not.
So since the law cannot save us God sends His Son in the likeness of us sinners to condemn sin in His flesh.
Ya'all still with me? Good.
So God takes His Son who was never a sinner and made Him to be sin for us.
Here is where things can get a little weird.
Many have taught that this verse teaches us that Jesus became a sinner in this moment. That when the wrath of God for our sin was poured out on His Son on the cross, when Jesus cries out, "Father, why have You forsaken Me", that God the Father who can have no fellowship with sin turns His back on His Son and basically, disowns Him, at least during this time.
Now this idea makes for, as they say, good television. The idea of Jesus becoming sin makes this all seem a little more dramatic, a bit more sentimental, a bit more taboo. Ever seen a movie based on true events where "artistic license" is used to embellish the story to make it more entertaining? Of course you have. It's then that the movie becomes even more of a distant image and likeness than the actual truth.
Which is very much like what has happened to the Gospel message in the church today.
Jesus became a sinner? Sounds enticing. Sounds scandalous. Sounds like something that an expert director would drum up. Sounds like something that someone who had an agenda against people hearing the actual truth of God's word and being saved by hearing the truth of the word of God would drum up.
They don't call him the prince of the power of the air for nothing.

Stay tuned for part 3...