OVERWHELMING TRIUMPH - PART 4

SATURDAY 30 MARCH 2024

Jesus died on the cross in fulfilment of God's powerful plan in this earthly realm where salvation is now at work in those who believe in the Lord. As we await the rest of His plan to manifest on earth in accordance with divine purpose, let's find out more regarding His overwhelming triumph over the devil, sin and death.

Reference: Colossians 2:15 New International Version (NIV)

"And having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross."

Today, my knee is bowed in reverence to the Lord Jesus Christ as I remember His sufferings, death and burial on my behalf, and more so, my tongue is highly vocal in declaring that He has triumphed over all powers of darkness and their authorities, disarming them and triumphing over them by the cross.

What did Jesus Christ achieve for us through His sacrificial death? 

1. Expiation: This is the act of making amends or reparations for sin or wrong doing and its guilt. It is the act of removing the reason for punishment. Hebrews 9:26 reads, "But now, once for all time, he has appeared at the end of the age to remove sin by his own death as a sacrifice" (NLT).

2. Propitiation: This is the action of propitiating or appeasing a god, spirit, or person. In the case of Christ's atonement, it is the act of averting or removing the effectiveness of God's wrath. God displayed Jesus publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith (Romans 3:25 NASB). In addition, Hebrews 2:17 (ESV) reads, "Therefore he had to be made like His brothers in every respect, so that He might become a merciful and faithful High priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people." Now the wrath of God's disapproval of sin is no longer effective in the lives of those who are in Christ Jesus.

3. Overwhelming triumph: This is the absolute victory over the power and nature of sin, devil and powers of darkness. Christ's triumph in Greek phraseology is known as "O thríamvos tou Christoú."  Jesus led Satan and his demonic agents as His prisoners in a triumphal procession, and made a show (spectacle) of them, which affirms His evidence of triumph over them. On top of that, He defeated the grave of sin by His resurrection. To that effect, Hebrews 2:14 reads, "Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, He himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death He might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil" (ESV). As the new creation, we now walk in this victory He accomplished for us on the cross.

4. Redemption: There are two types of redemption, namely, ransom redemption, which is the objective aspect of Christ's atonement, and liberation redemption, which is the subjective aspect of His atonement. Ransom redemption is objective, or put it this way, an object of God's thought, which means that it is in reference to God's legal and judicial perspective, while liberation redemption is subjective, which denotes that it is in reference to His relationship with mankind. However, for brief exposition, redemption is a release payment. The Greek word that powers redemption is "apolustrosis" which denotes the free release that takes place because of a payment of ransom, which purchases the freedom.

The Greek term for the payment is "lutron", which means the price for redeeming, ransom paid for captives, or for the ransom of life, or the price that liberates many from misery and the penalty of their sins. Christ gave Himself as a ransom for all. To that effect, Galatians 3:13 (NKJV) reads, "Christ has 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").

5. Forgiveness of sins: Forgiveness of sins is the Greek Phraseology, "synchóresi ton amartión" which means voluntary pardon of offense, mistake, wrong, error, sin or trespass. Ephesians 1:7 reads, "In Christ we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace" (NIV). In line with this versified statement, what makes God's forgiveness of sins quite unique is that it is not in accordance with the law, but in accordance with the riches of His grace, which implies that it has got to do with His unmerited favour, unconditional love and significant acceptance. To that effect, anyone who comes to Christ receives both redemption and forgiveness of sins. To instantiate this verity, Acts 26:18 - "to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me" (NIV)

6. Remission of sins: This is an absolute release or liberty, as from bondage or imprisonment of sins, as a result of redemption. The Greek word for remission is "aphesis" which denotes a release from deserved bondage or imprisonment and penalty involved, that lets the offender go free as though they never committed that offense, which equally implies that there is no record of sin or offense. And this is exactly the case with the new creation. The Bible says, "Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins" (Acts 26:27-28 NKJV).

7. Newness of life: The Lord Jesus Christ through His sacrificial death and by His resurrection, launched a new creation. 1st Peter 1:18-19 reads, "For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God" (NLT). God bought the saints with a high price and they became new in Christ. To that effect, 2nd Corinthians 5:17 (KJV) reads, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

There is an overwhelming insufficiency in man's own righteousness which means that it cannot and could not justify anyone before God. Therefore God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT).

In Christ Jesus, our faith, our hope, and our eternal salvation have got nothing to do with works, but rather, they are based on God's grace revealed through Christ's sacrifice of atonement, so that no one should boast. Stay tuned for part 5. Shalom!

Scripture Reading - Hebrews 2:9; Romans 5:8; Hebrews 12:2; 1 Peter 3 :18.

Exuberant Declaration:

Thanks be to God, the Supreme Deity who always leads me in overwhelming triumph in Christ Jesus, and therefore, through me in every place, He makes manifest the fragrance of the knowledge of Him. Blessed be God!