15Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey: and the LORD saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment. 16And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him (Isaiah 59:15-16).
32Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. 33But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. 34Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. 35For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. 36And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. 37He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me (Matthew 10: 32-38).
3For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; 4Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. 5For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; 6Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time (1 Timothy 2:3-6).
The prophet Isaiah notes that there was no acceptable human to intercede on behalf of the sinful Man, and that justice mandated judgment. Isaiah then states that God Himself will intercede, allowing then justice and righteousness to reign. This prophecy is fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Christ was the only man that has ever lived or will ever live capable of fulfilling the righteousness of God. The righteousness of God must be fulfilled in order for intercession to occur. This is the justice of God. The Lord Jesus Christ, altogether Man, altogether God intercedes for believers before God the Father. Christ justifies us. The justification comes about through our confession of Christ as Lord. Our confession of Christ as Lord can only occur through the gift of faith. Faith then is the mechanism that produces our confession. Confession then leads to repentance. Repentance then produces a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ is clear through His words in the Gospel of Matthew that it is the follower of Christ that is saved. In a profound and not entirely knowable mystery (by us anyway), God desires all to come to saving faith through His Son and yet it is only those that He so wills that will actually come to faith. What we do know with certainty is that whosoever will come to faith in Christ, placing their trust in His work on the Cross, and following him unto repentance, shall be saved; to the Glory of God. As we consider Good Friday, it is Christ's work on the Cross, on our behalf, that we should be so very thankful. This is the good news of the Gospel as foretold by the prophet Isaiah and confirmed within the pages of the New Testament scripture.
32Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. 33But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. 34Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. 35For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. 36And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. 37He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me (Matthew 10: 32-38).
3For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; 4Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. 5For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; 6Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time (1 Timothy 2:3-6).
The prophet Isaiah notes that there was no acceptable human to intercede on behalf of the sinful Man, and that justice mandated judgment. Isaiah then states that God Himself will intercede, allowing then justice and righteousness to reign. This prophecy is fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Christ was the only man that has ever lived or will ever live capable of fulfilling the righteousness of God. The righteousness of God must be fulfilled in order for intercession to occur. This is the justice of God. The Lord Jesus Christ, altogether Man, altogether God intercedes for believers before God the Father. Christ justifies us. The justification comes about through our confession of Christ as Lord. Our confession of Christ as Lord can only occur through the gift of faith. Faith then is the mechanism that produces our confession. Confession then leads to repentance. Repentance then produces a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ is clear through His words in the Gospel of Matthew that it is the follower of Christ that is saved. In a profound and not entirely knowable mystery (by us anyway), God desires all to come to saving faith through His Son and yet it is only those that He so wills that will actually come to faith. What we do know with certainty is that whosoever will come to faith in Christ, placing their trust in His work on the Cross, and following him unto repentance, shall be saved; to the Glory of God. As we consider Good Friday, it is Christ's work on the Cross, on our behalf, that we should be so very thankful. This is the good news of the Gospel as foretold by the prophet Isaiah and confirmed within the pages of the New Testament scripture.
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