“YOU are BARABBAS” (Understanding the NEW MAN)–Part 4

In our last discussion, we talked about God’s solution to not try to repair or revamp the old tree, but rather to cut it down. But let’s talk no more about solutions for trees, but a solution for man’s old self.

So there is one solution that God has come up with in order to get rid of the old self in man: EXECUTION. God does not send the old self to church, or to the psychiatrist, or put him under the law. He simply executes the old man. There is no other solution for that rebel.

But the good news of the Gospel is that execution has ALREADY taken place in Christ. This is really the key to understanding the gospel message. It is God’s program for dealing with the old self that is very vividly stated in the living Bible in Romans 7:24 through 25. Paul says, “oh what a terrible predicament I’m in, who will free me from that slavery to this deadly lower nature”. But then he cries out in gratitude, “thank God it has been done by Jesus Christ our Lord, he has set me free ” that is FREE from that deadly lower nature, this old self, has been sacrificed with Christ. Jesus has set me FREE from my old man.

Many Christians do not know that the old self has been crucified so that the body of sin might be rendered powerless and that we should no longer be slaves to sin. That’s the only way of escape from the slavery of sin. It’s by knowing and by believing that our old self, the deadly lower nature, the rebellious and contaminated default-nature of man was crucified with Jesus when Jesus died on the cross. No more rebel. That old self was executed. That is a fact of history.

I love the testimony the Derek Prince gives when the Lord asked him, “who do you think that center cross was prepared for”? Who was supposed to be on THAT cross? It was prepared for Barabbas; The robber and murderer. The actual truth is that Barabbas was the one who was legitimately supposed to be executed that day. But then there was a sudden change of event.

Jesus took the place of Barabbas. But in actual fact, the criminal that was supposed to be executed was YOU. Jesus took the place of the old-you and died in your stead. That’s the good news of the Gospel. That’s the grace of God that paid the price of redemption for all of us. And he made it so that we ALL died on that cross with Jesus.

Jesus took the place of the old REBEL and we were all crucified with him. Whether we know it or not, whether we believe it or not, that does not change the fact. God’s remedy for the old self was not to improve him or reform him or making him religious, but to execute him. No more rebel, no more disobedience and no more deception.

And that’s not the end… not only the old man was crucified with Jesus, but when Jesus arose, we arose as well. We resurrected into a new creature, a new creation, born of God and made after his own image, just as he had intended for man to be, in the garden: Reconnected with God, no longer a slave to sin, but a SON of righteousness.

That’s the wonderful MERCY and GRACE of God; the AWESOME mystery of the Gospel. Man redeemed through Christ DYING for man’s sinful nature, and Christ living in us and through us.

Don’t go away, this is just the BEAUTIFUL beginning…

To be continued…