Christ Obedient To The Cross

Paul's writing in Romans put forth the doctrine that Christ's obedient life is the supreme example of human faith in God. It is by the example of Christ that we may know that it is possible for a man to be made perfect - and the grace given us from the Father as spoken by Christ gives us space to become obedient, even in eternal life. By suffering on the cross Jesus tasted death for every man and is well acquainted with our sufferings. His obedience to death is an example for us all, for the world hated Him first.

Now, Christ died to give us an example - and also He "died for our sins".

Now the grace mediated to us by Jesus in His ministry came not without cost but with the life of Him that testated the new covenant in His blood. The cost of that grace was a free gift - and was easy for Christ to bear (I speak not of pain but of a lack of guilt and a good conscience toward God). In order for our faith to be complete Christ needed to die because as Paul we conclude if one died for all then are all others dead. Were Christ not given even unto death then there would be no release for us all in His resurrection for the way to be opened to eternal life for us all, we whom are under condemnation of the law.

Clearly His offering up of Himself and His life is for our faith to be upon Him - He was resurrected and approved by the Father - not by paying the cost of our sin at all but freeing us from it, since the grace given is now a free gift as to all. Christ spoke only those words given Him of the Father - He neither added or took away from the Father's new covenant with His people.

Now in that Christ is made "sin for us", we see Jesus the replacement of sin so that we may be freed from under sin and approach perfection under the ministry of the Holy Spirit to the end we are each predestined. Likewise elsewhere Jesus has become a curse for us - that all are concluded under sin and we are only justified by faith.

Faith is the example of Christ that we may attain - we can believe on Him that the grace we are given is true - for we have not known the Father like the Son - and therefore we are "as sheep lost without a shepherd". Likewise the fulfilment of the law by Christ has shown that God's labour is not in vain as he has separated to Himself His own elect. However the offering of Christ was not merely the cross, but His entire ministry and life. For Christ was humbled to come to us, and gave Himself as prophecised - to mediate the new covenant.

In Galatians Paul states;

Was not this Christ's entire ministry? Not the cross merely but the purpose of His life? Christ came to fulfil the law and the prophets, which is inclusive of the cross, not excluded to it. The will of the Father is that we believe on His Son, because He spoke His Father's words. Also Paul writes;

As crucified with Christ, the cross is a rock of offence to many as in the Israel of Jesus' day. He separated out those who would come to Him, as sheep to their shepherd. They knew their saviour was being crucified - the cross is an ensign to gather His people together in mourning to Christ.

The death of Christ shows His obedience to the desire of God that we obey His laws - showing to us the liberty of God over the expectations and religion of men as to requiring this or that of His Father. In obeying His own laws, Jesus showed that faith is the offering we have to give ourselves - and that we do not know how close the Father is to us. All sin is of making God into one further away, or of another gospel of our own imagination. Christ made sure that true faith to us that is good in God's eyes, This obedience of Christ is the offering of which Paul writes.

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