Sub

When I read the word “sub” I think either ‘below’, as in a sub-text, or a substitute teacher. Today, we mean the later. In a school setting, it’s a position I have never wanted. It can be the dread, or the elation of students. In 2 Corinthians 5.18-21 we have both. It is both disastrous to contemplate, and wondrous to know. Jesus as a sub. 

Paul is describing Jesus’ work in two words: ‘substitutionary atonement’. 2 Corinthians 5.18-21 states: “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

Jesus is the reconciler, by way of substitutionary replacement. I needed reconciliation, and He accomplished it by going in my place. He made atonement (the reconciliation made to God with humankind through Jesus Christ). His substitutionary act of love on the cross went much further than reparation… He made us right with Him. In reparation, someone has to make payment for the wrong done. We the sinner, have done wrong to our Creator God, individually and as a whole. The one offended makes it clear what is needed to ‘make things right’, not the offender. It is not up to us to decide the terms, it is up to God. He demands payment in blood. Jesus made that payment for my sin and your’s by taking my place and spilling His holy blood. This is how I am reconciled. 

I never thought I would see the day when ‘believers’ would reject the substitutionary death of Jesus as God’s plan. Frankly, it makes me wonder what they think of God at all, if this core element is unhinged. It is a growing fad of epic damnation. Their thought is: 1) That a ‘loving God’ wouldn’t require that kind of price; and 2) That He would never require it from His own son. But that is exactly what happened. Write me and I will explain further, and send you to a link where there is a wonderful video explaining this denial of substitutionary atonement in detail. 

Satan has twisted ‘Christianity’ even more. I just don’t even know if I like the label anymore. Believers never called themselves that in the scripture, others did. They did so because those disciples were true ‘followers’ of the ways and teachings of Jesus. It’s kind-of arrogant to call yourself something that should be bequeathed to you. Am I even worthy to be called that? Now we are living in churchanity. It’s a coagulation of thoughts and determinations about scripture, rather than scripture itself. It’s a mix of several church cultures rolled into what someone thinks should be rather than what God actually said about church. Most ‘theology’ being spit out today is on social media. It’s riddled with false doctrine and cheap thoughts on deep subjects. The core beliefs of “the faith once delivered to the saints” is ran through so much that it’s hardly recognizable in most churches anymore. I would concede that in a vast number of churches, they aren’t teaching and more importantly discussing what the scripture teaches, therefore what they believe. This way when it is questioned. brought up, or otherwise talked about, the average member can know what they believe, have confidence in it, and be able to defend it. Recently I read a pastor’s blog about human sexuality and thought. I thought to myself, ‘where is he getting his doctrine?’. Probably the internet, or worse he’s just trying to be trendy. The very next day I read of another, much closer to my stripe of theology, and determined he gets all of his doctrine on social media as well. I pray you never want a ‘pop-pastor’ in your life. I pray you seek God’s Word for His counsel in this life. It’s imperative.  

It’s as if churchanity thinks their doctrine on Jesus is: that He simply came just to be a  good example on how to be nice to people. Or maybe they think: He’s a really good  religious icon. Neither is true. He came to reconcile sinful man to God by His own redemptive (pay for) act on the cross. He came to die in my place. The payment He made for your sin before a Holy God was and is essential to salvation. There is no redemption without this payment being made. He became sin, in my place. He took all sin on Himself to remove it off of me, judicially. In so doing, God poured out on Christ all His wrath toward the sum total of all the wicked things done by man.

The Gospel is simply what Jesus did for this to happen for me. It is indeed “good news”. His substitutionary atonement as verse 21 says— “made him to be sin who knew no sin”. Jesus took all that would hold me from having a relationship with God. He did what I could not do, in order for me to be forgiven. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3.16). What love is this?! Perfect love, heavenly love, God-love. This is why the churchanity wanna-be theologians spill their filth… they dont understand it. It isn’t human. It had to be revealed (the scripture); and it had to be demonstrated (Jesus on the cross). It is mine to accept, enjoy, and live in. Or, it’s mine to be miserable, doubting, and insecure to waller in. 

I chose the sub. Have you? I chose Him, because He chose me, in 1988. It was eternally altering to my life. In fact, I now have life because of Him. He substituted Himself for me 2000 years ago, and loved me into His eternal family this many years later. That one sub, that one day, has brought about change in untold millions lives. Lives that would be destined to spend eternity separated from God. Thank you Jesus for being my sub that day. Thank you for doing what I could not have possibly done on my own.