13. To place the local church above the Scriptures is spiritually, theologically, and historically catastrophic. The reason there are many denominations is a fundamental abuse of the Bible. The abuses come from a misunderstanding of the subordinate authority of the local church to the Bible. The Scriptures must not be a subordinate authority of the local church. For example, the Orthodox Church neglects to wholly teach the blessed dogma of Christ's substitionary atonement for God's people. The Cross of Jesus Christ is no small spiritual matter. Rather it is of hyper-importance for the body of Christ. It is the only way sins are remitted, forgiven and cleansed. It is where righteousness, holiness and grace are bestowed. It is where sin, punishment and misery are taken away. Jesus surely bore our griefs upon Himself alone at the tree of great sorrow. He carried our depraved abominations and wretched filth upon Himself. He was stricken and smitten of God. God was pleased to crush Him. He was afflicted with great redemptive suffering at His Cross. I think there is a separation in the life of Christ between afflictions unto persecutions and redemptive suffering unto forgiveness and remission of sins. I am saying there is a fundamental difference in His afflictions for persecution that we all face because of Christ and His redemptive suffering that Christ only faced at His sorrowful Cross. Many abuse the Bible and imply that Jesus lacked sufficient payment at His Cross. I think there is a difference between "afflictions" and "suffering unto redemption" in regards to Christ alone because Christ freely offered Himself as a ransom for many. He said no one took His life from Him but He had divine authority to lay it down and take it up again! This referred to His redemptive suffering alone at His Cross alone. I would like to kindly point out that "It is finished" means "paid in full." That is, the Bible's position is that Jesus paid the sin debt in complete perfection at the Cross. I would also disagree with the surely fallible pope in past "church history" that if Christ pricked his finger that blood would be enough to atone for sin for He had to suffer at God's appointed time at His Cross alone where He was able to finally lay His blessed head! There is nothing lacking in His redemptive suffering at His blessed Cross as the offering of the only God-man. The "affliction sufferings" are lacking because it deals with persecution like when Saul persecuted Jesus through His people. We are to enter into the sufferings of Christ where we would be persecuted and all it takes in this sinful world is to live a godly life. We are called to suffer with Christ because we will reign with Christ. Additionally, there is no purgatory to pay for some kind of spiritual debt because the Cross completely covered it. There is also not a spiritual debt where we must fill in this mortal life because the Cross paid all the spiritual debts for the repentant sinner. The Bible says if we wish to reign with Him we are to enter into His afflictions or persecutions related sufferings. In other words, we are to enter into His afflictions where we live a godly life for the godly will be persecuted and we fill up what is lacking in His non-redemptive afflictions. No one has ever faced redemptive suffering like Christ at His Cross. I suggest to you that only Christ may suffer redemptively and none else! Let us remember! He was pierced for our serious and great transgressions. He was wholly crushed for our iniquities. No mere man could endure the redemptive suffering of His blessed Cross. The chastening, wrath, fury and indignation of God fell upon Him alone. We were healed by His scourging. The Lord imputed our iniquity upon Him and He carried our sins upon Himself. Indeed, the very pit of hell was placed upon Him and He became the very enemy of God so we might be God's dear friend only through His sinless Son Jesus Christ our Friend and Master! God was pleased to crush Him to pay for the punishment that all our sins deserved. He made divine satisfaction in behalf of God's people alone. He was a divine offering for sin to God the Father for all of God's people. He was numbered with the transgressors and was delivered over to death. Jesus Christ bore our sin upon Himself and the sin of many (cf. Isaiah 53).
14. Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of all the animal sacrifices. Jesus is the culmination and completion for all of them. Jesus surely atoned for all the vile sin of His people. Jesus is the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. The world does not refer to every single person. Rather it refers to God's choosing of His elect from every tribe, tongue, people and nation. The eunuch read Isaiah 53 where it said actually what happened to Jesus Christ and His agonizing Cross. Jesus knew He was born with a divine mission. His future was written already at His very birth. That is, the God-appointed hour had to come for Him to be lifted up like the serpent. People miss the clear meaning of Scripture because they are blinded and spiritually mute. The divine Word calls us to faith and repentance. Are you sure you have engaged in contrite repentance before God? Have you really confessed all your vile sins to God? Have you neglected the all-sufficient atonement of Jesus Christ to be clean from your sinful filth? The Cross is the only way a sinner can be clean. We must repent through the Cross of Jesus to be washed whiter than snow! Philip brought the meaning of the divine Word in evangelism. He was trained in the things of God to know His truth and to clearly explain it to others.
This blog web site is for the in-depth, sound and basic exegetical study of the Bible in Reformed apologetics; that is, I shall expound upon the inerrant and infallible Word of God, the Holy Scriptures. There shall be biblical studies in world religions and non-Christian cults. I also quote and research reformed writers and I am happy to study from them. May the Lord bless everyone who reads this blog with spiritual riches in Christ which is His imputed merit by faith alone.
