God alone is the author of salvation

“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become s the righteousness of God.” (2 Cor 5:21)

In two weeks we celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.

It was an age in which the very terms of salvation were rediscovered and celebrated. The question that the reformers asked was this “Was the work of Jesus on the cross sufficient to save us completely and finally apart from any work of our own?”

This verse answers positively. The first thing we notice is that God has done it. This may sound elementary, but when you consider our relentless desire to be our own saviors, it needs to be continually pointed out. It says: “God has made...”. Isaiah says, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all .... it was the will of the Lord to crush him...” (Is 53:6,10)

The Bible is consistent in that God alone is the author of salvation and that the only thing we contribute is the sin that made it necessary.

But what did he do? That God calls us to be reconciled implies that we are alienated. Alienation implies hatred, division; a division caused though sin. (Is 59:2) Amazingly, “He made him sin, who knew no sin...” So the perfect, spotless Son of God, who never did, thought or felt anything contrary to God’s law, had the sins of God people put upon him so that he became guilty, or became sin for us. Here is the greatest demonstration of the love and wisdom of God.

God turned his back on his Son on the cross causing him to cry “My God, My God why have you forsaken me?” (Matt 27:46) God punished Jesus for the crimes we committed; all of them past present and future. Shockingly, “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us.” (Gal 3:13)

But there is more. Just as he was made guilty of all the sin we incurred in our lives, the perfect life he lived is put to our account.

Now when we take him as our savior God declares us “to be the righteousness of God in him.” He was treated as if he was a sinner, though holy and we are treated as if we were righteous, though sinful.

Lastly, the words “in him” shows that the only way to have all of this is to be in Christ, that is to simply believe in him.

John says, “But as many as received him, to them gave the power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name”.

Friends what amazing love we see here. This is salvation free and full. This is the amazing grace of God, the sound of which there is nothing sweeter. This is the best news anyone could ever hear. This salvation, and the love that accomplished it, is the very obsession of the angels. (1 Peter 1:12) So Paul concludes, “there is now therefore no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom 8:1). You don’t spend the rest of your life working for a salvation that is too expensive to earn, but through faith there is no longer condemnation!

It is for this reason that Paul says a few verses before that he was imploring them to accept this unspeakable gift and be reconciled to God forever through Christ. Can you say you have done it? Can you say you have entered by faith into this glorious salvation? There is no other way.