Amanda and I just bought a "new" car. I'll be honest, I love looking at new cars and I hate it all at the same time. I love looking at the details (really just the shiny tires) and test driving new cars. But at the same time, I hate when that dreaded, sleezy salesman with his slick-backed hair (I'm not judging...) comes weasling out to join you in your shiny tire gazing.
As we purchased this new car, we were under the impression that this transaction, if completed, would assure us a solid and fun car with shiny tires and for that, we would pay the car dealership money as well as hand in our old car (without shiny tires). This was the agreed upon transaction deal...
And then 21 hours later happened. On my way home from church in my new, super-shiny wheeled Jeep, the "check engine" light came on...you've got to be kidding me.
I confess, I wasn't happy, and slick Rick, the car dealer, knew my frustration as well. Of course you would be upset too though...there was a deal on the table...at that point (believe it for not), I didn't care if the tires were shiny...I expected a solid running car. Long story short, there really was nothing wrong with it, so we are good...
But that's not my point...whenever we make a transaction...a swapping of sorts, we only make the deal if we know in our heart of hearts, we are getting a good return. Sometimes we need to make a transaction (like selling something) knowing that we won't get anything in return that will equal what we had, but in the long run it will save us money, time, etc... Whatever your swapping desire is...here is the truth of the matter- we don't make transaction unless we know we are getting something in return and we know it is fair for the other person (unless your a car salesman- sorry I shouldn't of said that...).
So no wonder, when we approach the topic of Jesus PAYING the penalty of sin by living a perfect life, dying a perfect death, and overcoming death by rising from the dead...that we bring in this same notion of equal transactions.
I was taught (or assumed by a lack of teaching), that when I put my faith in Jesus...He got my sins. This is remarkable news...unbelievable news! Its the Gospel...kind of. But with any transaction...I owed Him something right? That's how transactions work. So He got my sin...I assumed that because of this beautiful sacrifice, that I now owed Him a perfect, sinless rest of my life. There's just one problem with that...it's impossible...oh, and by the way...that's not the whole picture of the Gospel.
We learned Sunday night, on the cross, there was something different about this transaction...it was a holy transaction. We can give nothing in return to Jesus expect our worship. Here's a breakdown of the deal:
*Jesus got my sin (PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE)
AND
*I got His perfect right standing with God...so when God sees me, I'm covered in Jesus' perfect blood shed on the cross, and I now have a right standing with God...I'm Justified (don't know what that means? Just break it down...JUST-AS-IF-I'D...never sinned)
To be honest, this doesn't make sense...but that is the point. It's the Gospel...it's holy...and we don't derserve it. But it is offered to us by faith...and when we grasp it, it changes us...forever.
Use these questions below to help you dig deeper into the truth of this beautiful, holy transaction on the cross:
- Money for clothes
- Money for a car
- Swap clothes with a friend- Trade in video games
- Swap snacks at lunch in elementary school? (Always find the kid with the pudding snack pack...always!)
2. When you're making a deal, how do you measure if it is good or not? What is your process of decision making?
3. Why do we tend to gravitate to a human understanding of transactions when it comes to Jesus and the Gospel?
- Why do we feel we owe Him a perfect life after we receive forgiveness (for what we think is only past sins)
- What does that tell us about how we view ourselves, God, and the weight of the cross?
4. Sunday night, we looked at my favorite verse- 2 Cor. 5:21...I did a cross reference for you (simply a study of other verses elsewhere in the Bible that deal with the same ideas). Look these up and study them this week.
- Romans 4:25- What does this verse say about the importance of the ressurection in this HOLY TRANSACTION?
- Romans 8:3-4- What is a sin offering? What are the righteous requirements talked about in verse 4...how have they been "fully" met?
- Galatians 3:13
5. How does this HOLY transaction that is the Gospel, affect how we go about transactions in our everyday lives? Friendship transactions? Family transactions? Bitterness? Envy? Anger? Pain and suffering?
Join us Thursday night at Matt & Amanda's as we dig deeper into these passages and thoughts together in Community. 7pm at the Barn!
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