Season 3 Podcast 139 The Principle of Repentance

Principle of RepentanceChrist satisfied the law of justice which is absolute and unconditional only because he remained at-one-with Justice. Christ, obeying all that the Father commanded, remained perfect, or we would be forever lost.  Sometimes, perhaps, some of us Christians overlook the fact that the atonement would have meant nothing if Christ had violated the Law of Justice.  Christ could not have atoned for his own sins.  Nothing is greater than the fact that Christ came to mortality, suffering temptations of the flesh just as man suffers, but through it all remained perfect. His perfection qualified him to offer himself as a sacrifice for our sins.  Christ, not our works, satisfied the demands of the Law of Justice.  The phrase “born in sin” is inaccurate. Christ was not born in sin, and neither are we. We are born in a sinful world perfect, sinless, and innocent before God. All babies born in this world are perfect; however, we soon succumb to the weaknesses of mortality. Paul said,“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)In a manner that is impossible for us to understand, Christ never succumbed. He never violated the law of Justice."For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that he might be made the righteousness of God in him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)However, Christ was tempted in every point that we are tempted.  This is symbolized, of course by the temptations in the wilderness. We must assume that Christ really was tempted in the wilderness by Satan. The difference, however, is that Christ never gave in.“For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15)Because Christ never gave in to temptation, because he never violated the law of justice, the law of justice had no claim on him, and that qualified him to be the sacrificial lamb. He satisfied the demands of the law of justice in our behalf through his suffering. He did not have to pay for our sins to gain salvation and exaltation. He was saved no matter what.  He was God when he came to earth and because he remained sinless, he would remain God when he left this earth.  We should not overlook the fact that if Christ had fallen into temptation, he would have had no redeemer, and neither would we. Everything depended upon him remaining sinless. His sacrifice, which he made at the request of the Father, was entirely voluntarily. He did everything the Father asked him to do. This set him apart from the rest of us. In his prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, he pleaded,39 And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. (Matthew 26: 39)The second time he prayed, he said the same thing.“He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.” (Matthew 26:42)Christ made it clear that he came to earth to do the will of the Father.“I can of mine own self do nothing; as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.” (John 5:30)