Jesus our Representative
Christ is our model for living as children of the holy Father but we don't save ourselves by pursuing his likeness. That is, we earn nothing by seeking to be conformed to his image. The Hebrew writer (12:14) assures us that if we will not pursue holiness without which no one can "see" the Lord (that is, find favour in his presence) we will miss precisely that--favour in God's presence. But he wouldn't dream of suggesting that our pursuit of holiness in any way makes God our debtor or that in some way we can claim favour in his presence as the due reward for our pursuit. Favour with God begins, is sustained and ends with sheer grace.
But to choose friendship with the world is to make oneself an enemy of God (James 4:4) and "enemies" are what we were before we were reconciled to God in and through Jesus Christ (Romans 5:10). In what sense were we enemies? Was it that we harboured hostility and rebellion toward God, choosing to be the world's friend or was it that God viewed us as his enemies? Surely the answer is that both these are true. From our side there is no doubt, we cherished active hostility and hatred toward God and all he is and delights in but it is certainly possible for a holy and righteous person to recognise someone as his enemy and yet love him. Didn't Christ call us to "love your enemies"? If it's possible for us to recognise people as our enemies and not hold them in contempt and hatred it is certainly possible for God to love us while were were enemies (Romans 5:8-10). It was possible for the prodigal's father to love his child devotedly but still see him as lost and dead.
It's clear from scripture that it is God who works in us to destroy our enmity and bitterness toward him (Hebrews 13:20-21 would illustrate this truth) but while this is true it is also true that he doesn't do it without our trustful submission to his will. Romans 5:10 says we were reconciled to God (a passive verb) and being reconciled (a present participle) we can be sure of ultimate salvation so we rejoice in Christ Jesus through whom we receive the reconciliation (5:11--a verb in the active voice). We actively receive the reconciliation. We are involved in the reconciliation process--we "take" it. We permit ourselves to be reconciled. We do this in and through Jesus Christ in whom is the reconciliation. We do not lay hold on reconciliation apart from him or outside of him. The world is reconciled in a person and it is in him that we humbly come as we are called ("Be reconciled to God!") and receive the reconciliation.
But why is it that reconciliation with God is possible only in and through Jesus Christ? Because Jesus Christ is the atoner and the atonement for sins. He lives and suffers and bears and dies and lives again in man's name as well as for his sake and when we say our "Amen" by faith to God's heart about sin and life and oneness with him our own hearts are realigned with God's. By God's grace we say "Amen" to all that Christ is, has done and is doing in our name as he pays homage to the holy and loving Father and by this we are reflecting God's own heart.
For Jesus Christ is not only the mediator of humans bringing to God in our name his own heart, he is God bringing to humans (but not as an "alien" or "outsider"--John 1:14) his own heart about sin and life and relationship. When by grace we trust Christ as our representative our heart (by faith) is Christ's heart and Christ's is God's and reconciliation is received and accomplished.
So when we say that we must make Christ our model if we are to be saved, reconciled, forgiven or justified it must not be a declaration about how well we imitate him or the degree of our success in following his example. It is not how well we follow him but that we follow him! He would drive us despair if it were necessary to match him as a moral example. No, but we must take him by faith as our representative and our offering because he is what God is worthy of from humans--he and nothing less. He is what we offer because we can't offer ourselves. He is our confession and apology. He doesn't "make up" what we are lacking; he is altogether what we are lacking. When we come offering Jesus Christ "in our stead" we aren't offering someone that exempts us from holy obedience, we offer the model and inspiration for continued and enriched holy obedience.
This is not a legal transaction where sins and forgiveness are transferred as if it were electronic banking we were talking about. Nor is it some sort of illegal legal structure where innocent people are punished so that impenitent criminals can be called "righteous". All this has to do with a dynamic relationship where in and through Jesus Christ by trusting reliance our hearts are actually realigned with God and we have received the reconciliation because we have been conformed to the image of his Son (Romans 8:29). In and through the person of Jesus Christ and by faith in him we are no longer enemies and stand having been reconciled with a reconciliation we embrace with joyful thanks and loving commitment.
©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.
Many thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, the abiding word.com.