Christ Died For God

Amidst all the contending for the truth that goes on here, it is important to remember the truth we contend for, and why it is so worth contending for. At the heart of the Gospel lies the truth of Penal Substitutionary Atonement. A doctrine disdained and despised by many who cannot reconcile God's love with His wrath. But God is not a sociopath! It is precisely because of God's immense love that His wrath against wickedness is also so great. And the highness of His character demands that He deal with the smallest of sins.

And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty (Exodus 34:5-7a)

A Holy God cannot just clear the guilty or He would violate His Holy character. God had to find a way to demonstrate His reconciling love toward sinners without violating His character and nature. This is one of my favorite ever songs (perhaps my favorite) because in it, Steve Camp captures the only solution God had for this great problem - Penal Substitutionary Atonement. There is only one way because Jesus is the only way! Christ had to die for God!



Christ died for God and God was satisfied with Christ
Pure, unblemished sacrifice
Oh, Son of Grace

For who are we to boast not of works that we have done
But by faith in God's own Son
We are saved

And we cry, Holy
Worthy is the Lamb
God's love revealed to man
In the earth
And we cry, Holy
Glory to the King
Through Whom salvation brings
The new birth

Christ died for God and God has made Him Lord of all
For He drank the bitter gall
The cup of wrath

But He rose in majesty that grace might reign through righteousness
Blessed obedience
Our Sabbath rest

And we cry, Holy
Worthy is the Lamb
God's love revealed to man
In the earth
And we cry, Holy
Glory to the King
Through Whom salvation brings
The new birth

A Tale Of Two Kings (Part 3)

In today's third installment we will look at Saul's response to the exposure of his sin. In this and the next two posts we are going to really see what made Saul and David so different and perhaps where the dividing line lay between the king rejected by God and the king that was known as a man after God's own heart . . . read on . . .

Saul’s Response (1 Samuel 15 continued)

And Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, "Blessed be you to the LORD. I have performed the commandment of the LORD."(1 Samuel 15:13)

1. Lying - here Saul blatantly lies to the prophet Samuel.

And Samuel said, "What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears and the lowing of the oxen that I hear?" Saul said, "They have brought them from the Amalekites, for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen to sacrifice to the LORD your God, and the rest we have devoted to destruction." (1 Samuel 15:14-15)

2. Blaming - in verse 15 Saul blames everybody else.

3. Justifying - after blaming everyone in verse 15 Saul goes on to justify his actions by saying that they planned to sacrifice all the animals (they should have destroyed) to the LORD.

Lying, blaming, and justifying - do these responses resemble things we see on the news and in our everyday lives . . . perhaps in our own lives? Let's continue onto verse 16:

Then Samuel said to Saul, "Stop! I will tell you what the LORD said to me this night." And he said to him, "Speak." And Samuel said, "Though you are little in your own eyes, are you not the head of the tribes of Israel? The LORD anointed you king over Israel. And the LORD sent you on a mission and said, 'Go, devote to destruction the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.' Why then did you not obey the voice of the LORD? Why did you pounce on the spoil and do what was evil in the sight of the LORD? (1 Samuel 15:16-19)

In these verses Samuel clearly points out what Saul’s sin is.

And Saul said to Samuel, "I have obeyed the voice of the LORD. I have gone on the mission on which the LORD sent me. I have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and I have devoted the Amalekites to destruction. But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the best of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the LORD your God in Gilgal." (1 Samuel 15:20-21).

In the face of all this clear exposure of his sin, Saul still perseveres in trying to deny any guilt on his part. As you read verses 20 and 21 you can see the mental drunkenness that continual lying produces in Saul's bizarre self refuting statement where he both emphatically states that he has "obeyed the voice of the Lord" and spared the life of Agag.

(Interesting footnote concerning Agag - In the book of Esther, over five centuries later, a descendant of Agag called Haman very nearly succeeded in a Hitler like plan to exterminate the entire Jewish race. Something interesting to ponder in the light of people's questioning about how God could send Saul to wipe out an entire people group.)

And Samuel said, "Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams". (1 Samuel 15:22)

Here we hear the well known verse that was behind Steve Camp's great song "Consider the Cost". God is so much more interested in our day-to-day obedience to Him than in the sacrifices we try to appease Him with (Isaiah 58:1-7). Think about that next time you are exerting yourself during a worship service.

For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has also rejected you from being king." (1 Samuel 15:23)

Verse 23 is interesting in that it is the verse that precedes Saul’s “repentance”. Do you think there is something said here that finally prompts Saul to confess his sin? Is there insight here to what Saul values most?

Saul said to Samuel, "I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice. (1 Samuel 15:24)

Here we see that Saul knew his sin all along as he readily verbalizes what it is. Saul is more concerned about protecting his own kingdom than building God’s. Are you sorry because you sinned against God or sorry that you got caught?

Now therefore, please pardon my sin and return with me that I may worship the LORD." And Samuel said to Saul, "I will not return with you. For you have rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you from being king over Israel." As Samuel turned to go away, Saul seized the skirt of his robe, and it tore. And Samuel said to him, "The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you. And also the Glory of Israel will not lie or have regret, for he is not a man, that he should have regret." Then he said, "I have sinned; yet honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with me, that I may bow before the LORD your God." (1 Samuel 15:25-30)

Tragically, after all this, Saul’s greatest concern is to maintain his public profile by concealing his personal problems. After all that transpired he still didn’t get it! Saul's repentance was not built upon godly sorrow (2 Corinthians 7:10) but upon worldly sorrow. That is a big clue as to where this series is heading as we continue on Wednesday . . .



Go On To Part 4
Go Back To Part 2
Go Back To Part 1

He Covers Me - Steve Camp

Here is a great Steve Camp song on the Lord's day with a video dedicated to the selfless sacrifice of the firemen who risked their lives dragging people from the crumbling World Trade Centre towers. Self sacrifice inspires us as people - but may it also remind us of the Ultimate Sacrifice 2000 years ago - the Just for the unjust.

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person--though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die-- but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life (Romans 5:6-10).

Consider the Cost

This is a wonderful song so awesomely biblical! Steve Camp wrote this around 1990 and was no doubt heavily influenced by John Macarthur's book "The Gospel According to Jesus".



Consider the Cost by Steve Camp

To obey is better than sacrifice
and to hearken than the fat of rams
for what will a man give for his own life
houses or money or land
there's a way that seems right to you
but in the end it leads only to death
but come unto Him all ye weary
come and find your rest

Consider the cost of building a tower
it's a narrow way that you must come
for to do the will of the Father
is to follow the Son
to love Him more than father or mother
to love Him more than your own flesh
to give all that you are, for all that He is
this is the gospel according to Jesus

Many will say, "Lord, Lord" on that day
look what we've done in Your name
"We've prophesied and performed
many miracles
and Lord, even demons obeyed"

Then the Lord will declare unto them
the most terriifying words of truth
"depart from me ye workers of iniquity
for I have never known you!"

Oh foolish man, how you built on the sand
trusting in your goodness to save!
for when the rain falls, and the flood
breaks the walls
you will be swept away!

But blessed is he who builds on the Rock
who takes Jesus as Lord to save!
for when the rain falls, he will endure it all
standing firm in His grace!

When I Survey The Wondrous Cross

A great hymn written by Isaac Watts and sung by Steve Camp - a Christian artist who loves the glorious doctrine of Penal Substitutionary Atonement. Please savor and meditate this Lord's day!