Look inside this book.Where the Bush is Burning: A Daily Devotional by [Thomas Tice]

Tag: Ii Corinthians 5

‘Not Imputing Their Trespasses To Them’

‘Not Imputing Their Trespasses To Them’

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‘Not Imputing Their Trespasses To Them’

‘…that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.’

II Corinthians 5:19

It is of critical importance that we understand the concept of imputation. It is only by an understanding of that concept that we can grasp justification, because imputation is critical to it. If God would reconcile the world unto Himself, He must employ Christ to do it. Christ must establish His Righteousness by His Active and Passive Obedience. By His Perfect Life, Christ satisfied the Law of God in precept. By His Atoning Death, Christ satisfied the Law of God in penalty. By these acts, Christ has thoroughly established His Righteousness. It is this Righteousness that God the Father imputes to the sinner. It is the sin of the sinner that God imputes to Christ. He ‘bears their iniquities.’ Hence, our text declares that God is ‘not imputing their trespasses to them.’ Instead He imputes ‘their trespasses’ to Christ. This is the most glorious transaction which could possibly be for our benefit. Because Christ’s Righteousness is a perfect righteousness, God views all who receive it as perfectly righteous.  Because God imputed to Christ all of the sin of all of His ransomed, ‘He made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin.’ Here is the wonderful news of the Gospel. The more we understand it, the more we will value Christ. The more we value Christ, the more we will make of Him in every way. Christ is all.

O, Judge of all the earth.
We rejoice that You have,
because of Christ, declared us not guilty.
We praise You that Christ, has borne the burden of our sins,
and that because He has, we bear them no more.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning
‘In Christ’

‘In Christ’

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‘In Christ’

‘…that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.’

II Corinthians 5:19

We never want to stray far, in our discussions, from the Person of Christ. As religion has strayed farther and farther from the preaching of Christ, and resorted to Christless, man-centered, guilt theology, so it has removed the true foundation of hope from desperate souls. Our text for today lies in these words, ‘In Christ.’ ‘In Christ,’ God would ‘reconcile’ the ‘world’ of sinners to Himself. In order for Him to do that, there must be a practical means whereby He might effect that reconciliation. Christ is that practical means. All of His Incarnate Life; all of His rendered obedience; all of His proofs of His Deity, all of His suffering; as well as His Atoning, Sacrificial Death are the things which God used to ‘reconcile’ the world unto Himself ‘in Christ.’ Hence, Christ must be at the very heart, not only of what we do, but of who we are. This is why the Apostles, ‘ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.’ He must be at the heart of our personal life, our professional life, our family life, and our spiritual life. Here is why we must continually contemplate Him and by degrees imitate Him. Because Christ is, the ‘One Mediator’ and ‘the Only Redeemer of God’s Elect.’ He is the Pole Star, the True North of all of the redeemed of all ages. ‘God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself.’ Christ is All.

Our Gracious God and Heavenly Father,
we praise You for Christ, Your only Begotten Son.
We rejoice that in Him we find all that is necessary,
to bring us with joy, into your Holy Presence.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning
‘God, Reconciling the World to Himself’

‘God, Reconciling the World to Himself’

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‘God, Reconciling the World to Himself’

‘…that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.’

II Corinthians 5:19

God is, in every way, the First Cause, and the Prime Mover. This is true in every context and in all circumstances. It is especially so regarding the matter of our reconciliation unto Him from our natural position of being ‘enemies’ because of our depravity. Our text for today makes a categorical statement. It declares, ‘that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.’ Today, let us dwell upon these words, ‘God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself.’ What is remarkable is that God would have the desire to reconcile ‘the world to Himself’ at all. With, but a Word from His Mouth, He could destroy and re-create whatever and whoever suited Him. What is more remarkable is that His Plan for ‘reconciling the world to Himself’ involved His ‘only begotten Son,’ with a life of humiliation and an agonizing death. What is most remarkable is that not only did God plan and prepare this reconciliation, but that He carried it out in the course of history in every detail. Hence we marvel at the Love which He has demonstrated to bring that reconciliation to pass. This is why we love Him, ‘because He first loved us.’ This is why we magnify Christ for His willingness to be the Accomplisher of this reconciliation. Today let us dwell upon this grand Plan and the means by which God has reconciled ‘the world unto Himself.’

Our Glorious, Saving God,
we praise You, that You have extended unto us,
Your reconciling Hand.
We rejoice that in Christ, reconciliation finds completion,
and that He is all our Hope.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

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