One tragic result of the multitude of influences found within the world system today is a lack of biblical literacy among Christians. This lack has resulted in many completely avoidable struggles, trials, and heartaches. If Christians clearly understood and lived their lives according to the reality of who we are and of what is available for our asking, life would be very different for millions of us.
Today, I want to speak with you about God’s treasury and how we access it. When we consider that God has heavenly gifts and blessings that He wishes to freely give to His sons and daughters, we should be excited and overjoyed. Anything that the Father wishes to give me I want. How about you?
But, before that can happen there must be a supernatural and divinely orchestrated exchange that takes place. This exchange when initiated shook the city of Jerusalem and stopped the sun from shining for hours. It brought cheers from the demons running rampant upon the earth and bewilderment to the angels who did not understand what had transpired.
I am speaking of course of the crucifixion of Jesus the Christ. This God-ordained exchange changed the creation forever. The apostle Paul describes this exchange in a single statement in 2 Corinthians 5:21 – “He (God) made Him (Jesus) who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
What does this mean for us? It means that Jesus was made our sin offering. He took our place upon that sacrificial altar. And the exchange that took place was what? Christ’s righteousness becomes our righteousness through faith.
Listen, friends, this is a liberating truth. You do not have to struggle to try to be righteous. You are righteous by the righteous robes of Jesus that adorn you. Our responsibility is to live like righteous servants of God.
Next, we must understand that the justice humanity deserved was executed against Jesus. The righteousness that was and is Jesus is given to all who will believe. The apostle Paul writing to the Roman believers explained this:
1Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. 3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. Romans 8:1-5
The Old Testament prophet Isaiah likewise explained what Yahweh indicated would happen one day to reconcile His creation to Himself:
4Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. 5But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities;
The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. 6All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him. Isaiah 53:4-6
Jesus was executed on a cross for our sin. His willing sacrifice secured our forgiveness. 1 John 2:2 says that Jesus was the “propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but for those of the whole world.” Hebrews 9:22 says that “without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”
So the exchange that is available is the forgiveness of the Father through Jesus’ obedience to death.
The next aspect of the great exchange that the Father performed on our behalf is described in a number of passages. First, we learn that every human being falls short of God’s standard. Romans 3:23 informs us that: all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. We all fall short of God’s standard for earning our way to eternal life.
Then in Romans 6:20-23 we learn this:
20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death. 22 But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Hebrews 2:9 tells us that Jesus tasted death for everyone. In John 10:10 Jesus says that He came to earth to offer abundant life (eternal). So, the exchange is Jesus received the wages of sin on our behalf so that we could live eternally.
Jesus also became a curse so that we might receive God’s blessings. Galatians 3:13-14 says:
13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”— 14 in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Paul was referring of course, to Deuteronomy 21:22-23 when describing Jesus as receiving our curse.
22 “If a man has committed a sin worthy of death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, 23 his corpse shall not hang all night on the tree, but you shall surely bury him on the same day (for he who is hanged is accursed of God), so that you do not defile your land which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance.
Think of the implications of this. When the religious leaders agitated Pilate for the murder of Jesus they knew that capital punishment was crucifixion. The cross was considered a tree. The religious leaders no doubt had this passage of Deuteronomy in mind and believed that this act of crucifixion would finally and forever settle the issue of Jesus of Nazareth as Messiah.
On the day of Pentecost, the apostle Peter destroyed their vain imaginings. As the Jews gathered to investigate what the noise throughout the city was, not knowing it was the Holy Spirit falling on the disciples, Peter said this:
22 “Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know— 23 this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. 24 But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power…32 This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses. 33 Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear…36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified.” 37 Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?” 38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.” Acts 2:22-24, 32-33, 36-39
So Jesus became a curse for us so that we might receive the blessings of God through the Holy Spirit.
Next, we must understand that Jesus endured our poverty so that we might share in His abundance. 2 Corinthians 8:9 tells us that: “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.”
In the next chapter of this same letter Paul wrote this: “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed.” 2 Corinthians 9:8
The exchange is clear – Jesus took our poverty that we might share His abundance. That of course is referring specifically to our poverty of spirit, wisdom, and relationship with the Father. But, it also relates to the abundance of gifts and blessings the Father desires to give us. I want to discuss that in a little while.
Let me touch on two final things embodied in God’s gracious plan of salvation for His creation; Two more aspects of the exchange that Jesus fulfilled for us. First Jesus took our shame that we might share His glory. Matthew 27:35-36 says this:
35 And when they had crucified Him, they divided up His garments among themselves by casting lots. 36 And sitting down, they began to keep watch over Him there.
The scripture is clear that the Roman soldiers stripped Jesus naked before nailing Him to the cross. But, through Jesus’ humiliation, shame, and suffering, He opened the door for us to receive the glory of God through saving faith and sanctification.
Hebrews 2:10 tells us: “For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings.”
Finally, Jesus was rejected that we might be accepted. Matthew 27:45-51 says:
45 Now from the sixth hour darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour. 46 About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” 47 And some of those who were standing there, when they heard it, began saying, “This man is calling for Elijah.” 48 Immediately one of them ran, and taking a sponge, he filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and gave Him a drink. 49 But the rest of them said, “Let us see whether Elijah will come to save Him.” 50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. 51 And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split.
The Father turned away from the Son just as those Jesus came to save turned away from Him. Jesus endured rejection that we might be accepted by the Father.
Ephesians 1:3-8a reminds us of all these truths.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He lavished on us.
Now, before I speak with you about how we receive the blessings and gifts of God let me summarize. The finished work of Jesus means:
- He did all the work. There is no work that we must do to be saved.
- He took away the sin barrier. We do not have to deal with our own sins.
- His promise of everlasting life to all who simply believe in Him is true. His finished work proves that.
Since all of this is true, why are so many Christians struggling today? Why are so many churches struggling today? Why is there such widespread apathy and even indifference among believers?
The answer is that most Christians have never been taught that we are meant to have power and authority by the indwelling and filling of the Holy Spirit.
It is possible that within the church today there are many tares. Another name for tares is false converts. Matthew 13:24-30 is a parable of Jesus concerning false converts.
24 Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went away. 26 But when the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the tares became evident also. 27 The slaves of the landowner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ 28 And he said to them, ‘An enemy has done this!’ The slaves *said to him, ‘Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?’ 29 But he *said, ‘No; for while you are gathering up the tares, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30 Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”
The question you might have is “What makes someone a false convert?” The answer is simple – they do not have the Holy Spirit living in them. Romans 8:6-9 tells us that.
6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, 7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, 8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.
Doctrinally, we believe that the Holy Spirit indwells all people who receive Christ by faith. In other words, the Holy Spirit takes up residence in us when we are born again.
There is also a baptism of the Holy Spirit that the Bible speaks of. Here is where some of you will get uncomfortable because your faith traditions do not teach this. I’ll show you in the Scripture that it is taught.
Turn with me to John 20:1-22. What is this describing? It is describing the disciples receiving the Holy Spirit. This means they were born again at this point, correct?
Now let’s turn to Acts 2:1-4. What was that? That was the baptism of the Holy Spirit for power and ministry. This was a separate thing from their rebirth. They were already born again. Jesus said to wait for the Holy Spirit for power.
Do you know that the Scripture tells us to ask for the baptism of the Holy Spirit? Turn with me to Luke 11:9-13.
If we are instructed in the Bible to ask for the baptism of the Holy Spirit how is it that some say there is no baptism of the Holy Spirit?
1 Corinthians 12:13 speaks of our initial baptism and indwelling of the Holy Spirit when we are saved. But there is a subsequent baptism of the Holy Spirit that we should all ask for because it is the power of God toward us for ministry. God’s blessings through the Holy Spirit gifts are absolutely essential for all believers.
Spiritual gifts are not some kind of outlier, some type of charismatic, Pentecostal phenomena. Christians need to know that Paul taught the gifts as did the other apostles.
The gifts of the Spirit are supernatural enablements that are for the benefit of others, most notably the body of Christ. The gifts of the Spirit enable the body to function properly and most beautifully for the furtherance of the mission of the church.
Walk in the power and the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Do not give credence to naysayers or those who refuse to submit themselves to the Lord. The path of righteousness and sanctification is a path that only those who have been called will walk.
Pastor Mike Spaulding
You may support The Transforming Word Ministry by sending your gifts to:
Dr. Mike Spaulding
PO Box 3007
Lima, OH 45807
Online at http://www.cclohio.org
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