Rhapsody of Realities 29 March
Scripture: Colossians 1:18 – And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
The expression, “the firstborn from the dead” doesn’t mean the first to rise from the dead. Prior to Jesus’ vicarious death, there were those who had been raised from the dead, but what the Apostle Paul communicates by the Spirit here is different. When Jesus died, He died in the spirit; therefore, He was the first to come out of spiritual death. Spiritual death is separation from God. As Jesus hung on the Cross, He suffered the agony of being separated from the Father.
The Bible says He cried out with a loud voice, “…Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34). This was a result of His being made sin for us. His separation from the Father was for our sake. The Bible says, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
It should have been illegal for Jesus to be in hell, because He was without sin, but He went to Hell in our place. Colossians 2:15 captures how He engaged Satan in that awful combat in hell and defeated him and all the cohorts of darkness: “And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.” No one ever came out of spiritual death or out of Satan’s bondage, but Jesus did.
Read yesterday’s Rhapsody of Realities here
He paid the full penalty for every man. Accordingly, because a righteous man was given for sinners, it became legal, and possible, for sinners to be given His righteousness. He took our place of sin, that we might obtain His righteousness. Now we’re as righteous as Jesus is! He has made you the very expression of His righteousness because He died spiritually for you, and when He came out of death, you were in Him. Now you reign and rule with Him in the heavenly realms—in the realm of life. Blessed be God!
CONFESSION: Blessed Father, I thank you for the sacrifice of Jesus in my behalf by which I’ve been made righteous. I walk in, and manifest your righteousness, reigning and ruling with Christ from the heavenly realms, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
FURTHER STUDY:
Romans 5:17– 17 For if because of one man’s trespass (lapse, offense) death reigned through that one, much more surely will those who receive [God’s] overflowing grace (unmerited favor) and the free gift of righteousness [putting them into right standing with Himself] reign as kings in life through the one Man Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).
1 Corinthians 1:30 – 30 But it is from Him that you have your life in Christ Jesus, Whom God made our Wisdom from God, [revealed to us a knowledge of the divine plan of salvation previously hidden, manifesting itself as] our Righteousness [thus making us upright and putting us in right standing with God], and our Consecration [making us pure and holy], and our Redemption [providing our ransom from eternal penalty for sin].
2 Corinthians 5:21 – 21 For our sake He made Christ [virtually] to be sin Who knew no sin, so that in and through Him we might become [[a]endued with, viewed as being in, and examples of] the righteousness of God [what we ought to be, approved and acceptable and in right relationship with Him, by His goodness].
1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Luke 8:1-21 & Joshua 3-4
2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Romans 4:1-10 & Psalm 101
Thank you for studying today’s Rhapsody of Realities – It Was For You – written by Pastor Chris Oyakhilome.
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Rhapsody of Realities 29 March 2022