Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Clinging To Our Redemption in Jesus, The Second Adam

My Utmost For His Highest
 
Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples…."Stay here and watch with Me." —Matthew 26:36, 38
 
“We can never fully comprehend Christ’s agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, […] His concern here was that He might not get through this struggle as the Son of Man. He was confident of getting through it as the Son of God— Satan could not touch Him there. […] Read the record of His agony in Gethsemane in light of His earlier wilderness temptation— “…the devil…departed from Him until an opportune time” (Luke 4:13). In Gethsemane, Satan came back and was overthrown again. Satan’s final assault against our Lord as the Son of Man was in Gethsemane. […] Because of what the Son of Man went through, every human being has been provided with a way of access into the very presence of God."  CHAMBERS
 
(1 Corinthians 15:45) “And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.”  Jesus is the last or second Adam.  What the first Adam failed to do, the last Adam accomplished.  Where the first was defeated by sin and death, the second was the victor over both.  Jesus was tempted in the desert (Matthew 4:1-11) and in the Garden (Luke 22:39-46) … not the spiritual part of Jesus .. God cannot be tempted (James 1:13)… but the man.  He was tempted in all ways. (Hebrews 4:15)  Where the first Adam failed .. the second Adam succeeded.  How marvelous, how wonderful, and my song shall ever be.  Have marvelous, how wonderful is my Savior’s love for me.
 
I can live my new life because Jesus made the way for me.  I can defeat temptation … and you can too … if we will only take the way of escape the God has provided (I Corinthians 10:13).   We can do all things through Christ who gives us strength.  (Philippians 4:13)  Don’t accept the lie that defeat at the hands of sin as inevitable.  There are two things that you can be certain of. 1) Jesus, the living Word, has defeated sin and death.  2) Forgiveness is always and only found in Him.  Don’t deny sin, pretend that it didn’t happen or isn’t happening.  Face it, repent, and seek forgiveness … forgiveness easy to find .. it is at the foot of the Cross. The accuser will tell you that you are worthless and undeserving … actually both are true … but God loves us anyway.  And by His amazing grace and mercy, we have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb.  Don’t lose sight of that.  What a glorious life we have in Christ.  ELGIN
 
Charley Elgin

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