Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God (Romans 5:1-2).
Here’s what the judicial side of our redemption demanded. A man got us into sin, and a man must legally pay our sin penalty. But not just any man. For a man to qualify to pay our sin penalty, he must first meet certain criteria.
He must be in fellowship with God, and be guilty of no sin of His own. He must not be subject to Satan’s control and He must have a body that is not subject to physical death. No human born of two human parents is capable of legally paying for the sins of mankind, for he is sinful himself, is under Satan’s control, and is already subject to death.
When Jesus hung on the cross, he cried out as God literally turned His back on Him and made Him to become our sin. Our sin is a spiritual thing. Though Jesus suffered untold agony when He hung on the cross, His physical sufferings did not begin to touch our sin problem.
Jesus literally bore our spiritual death. He really died twice on the cross. He died spiritually when He cried out as God forsook Him. He became our spiritual death. Later, He died physically, but only after He died spiritually by becoming our spiritual death.
When Jesus died, He went to hell to pay our sin penalty. The penalty for sin is spiritual and physical death, and incarceration in hell. Jesus bore our sin penalty, and went to hell for us the moment He died. In this way, He legally dealt with our sin problem, and made a complete redemption available for us!
Hell was divided into two compartments before Jesus died and rose from the dead. According to Jesus there was the righteous side of hell, called Paradise by Jesus on the cross, and also called Abraham’s bosom. There was also the unrighteous side of hell where all unbelievers of all ages go at death.
When Jesus died, He went to the paradise side of hell and stayed there until God was satisfied that our sin debt was completed paid in full. While He was there, He preached the gospel to the Old Testament believers who were trusting in the Redeemer that was to come. When God’s justice toward our sin was satisfied, the Holy Spirit came upon Jesus there in hell, and He was Born Again. That is, He came back alive unto God and His fellowship with the Father was restored!
He then led the Old Testament believers in a triumphant procession out of the righteous side of hell and they were resurrected with Him! (see Matthew 27:51-52). On the way to heaven they appeared to the saints in Jerusalem.
Jesus conquered death for us by being resurrected from the dead in a new flesh and bone body. His resurrection took the sting out of death for us, and guarantees us a physical resurrection when Jesus comes for us in the rapture of the church.
Jesus defeated death, hell, Satan, and the grave for us when He was raised from the dead. His resurrection gives makes available to us the New Birth; access into the presence of God anytime day or night; victory over Satan and all His forces; healing for our bodies from sickness and disease; the promise of all our needs being met in this life; and the promise that one day we’ll have a brand new immortal body just like the one He received at His resurrection.
Jesus is now seated at the right hand of the Father, where He ever lives to make intercession for us. He is our heavenly defense attorney, and He’s never lost a case! We are seated with Him far above the power of Satan and his emissaries.
Take your place seated in heavenly places with Jesus Christ, and rule and reign in your life through the victory gained By Christ Jesus for you!
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