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07 April 2012 - "He claimed our sins as His own (part 2)"

Summary of sermon by Erlo Stegen

7 Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me,

8 I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.

12 For innumerable evils have compassed me about: mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of mine head: therefore my heart faileth me.

It's good to read these verses in different translations and languages. It's put wonderfully in the Afrikaans translation.

It says in the Afrikaans, "you have dug ears for me", as the original Hebrew also says.

Also, "Your law is within my intestines", it says in the original Hebrew and is translated as such in the Afrikaans.

God knows that the blood of bulls and goats doesn't have the power to cleanse you or take away sin. That's why He became the ultimate sacrifice. No more bulls have to be slaughtered for Jesus Christ, the ultimate sacrifice was slain and took away sin. And we read that it was His delight to do it for it was the will of His Father.

Is it your delight to do God's will? Some say it's difficult to be a Christian, but Jesus said that He delighted to do His Father's will. Note that He delighted to do His Father's will, knowing full well the cost involved. He wasn't forced, He did it willingly, laying down His life to set you and me free from our sins.

He was so united in taking our sin upon Himself that He calls our iniquities His iniquities as if He did it (verse 12)!

We know that when He came into this world how He went from village to village revealing Himself as the Saviour and Redeemer, through signs and wonders which He performed.

Jesus spoke the following words to Zacchaeus:
Luke 19
10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

Sin makes you simply a thing of filth. Sin strips you of your humanity.

He came to restore that which was lost and raise to life those dead and rotten in their sins.

Those who loved righteousness loved Him, but the pharisees and the servants of satan hated Him with a vehement fury. That did not stop Him, but He continued to do what He came for.

No one took His life from Him but He willingly laid it down.

Jesus says in John 10
17 "Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.

18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father."

He proved it by the resurrection from the dead.

Even when they came to arrest Him and He told them that He was Jesus, the one they were seeking, they fell over backwards. Only when He willingly handed Himself over, for your sake and my sake, could they take Him.

Once they sought to throw Him down a cliff, but He simply walked through the crowd, for it was not His time and they didn't have power over Him.

At another time they picked up stones to stone Him to death near the temple, but again they couldn't do anything against Him for it was not yet the right time.

But when His time came to lay down His life, He willingly laid it down. Even there they couldn't take Him but He willingly handed Himself over. No one forced Him. He laid down His life voluntary.

When He came the last time into Jerusalem, He wept over Jerusalem. Then the prophesy from Zechariah went into fulfilment. And great crowds followed Him and rejoiced that their King had come.

They shouted their hosannas, old and young. People even laid their clothes on the ground, out of respect and honour for Him.

The donkey He rode upon had never been ridden before but was calm when Jesus rode on it. So too when Jesus comes into your life He makes everything new. He makes the worst sinner new.

When Jesus dwells in you, honour is even bestowed upon you. But it's not because of you but because of Him in you. Don't take the honour upon yourself, but humbly acknowledge Him.

If He doesn't abide in you, then your "donkey nature" will be exposed.

Don't go out and do your own thing without Jesus leading you.

They honoured Him as the conquering hero, for only He has the power to save you.

But while these rejoiced, His enemies were furious and hated Him even more and plotted how to kill Him.

When He enters your life He gives you a peace which passes understanding. It's the end of friction and noise.

Do you know that peace that passes understanding when your burden of sin is removed?

He also gives the strength to overcome sin after He has removed the sin.

This victory is glorious as we walk in this victory and one day meet Him who has given us this victory! That's why death is gain to those who know this victory.

There is no joy that can be compared to the joy of that day when we shall meet our Lord and Saviour!

Think of the joy when we shall meet Him, the gratitude and love we shall have for the One Who saved us from our pigsty and made us to be kings and priests unto Him!

We become something only because of Him. Without Him we are nothing.