Catmagwest038
From Diwygiad
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== Commento == | == Commento == | ||
| + | It was requisite that the Mediator should be God, that he might sustain and keep the human nature from sinking under the infinite wrath of God, and the power of death; give worth and efficacy to his sufferings, obedience and intercession; and so satisfy God’s justice, procure his favour, purchase a peculiar people, give his spirit to them; conquer all their enemies, and bring them to everlasting salvation. | ||
| + | Herein we may detect at least eight theological reasons for the indispensability of the deity of our Lord. | ||
| + | |||
| + | (1) Christ’s divinity was necessary to bear the force of the atonement. The weight of the wrath of God, for the sins of the world, is so great that no mere mortal could have borne it. It was Christ’s lot to drink that cup to its bitter dregs. Only a divine Savior could have survived it. | ||
| + | |||
| + | (2) Christ’s divinity was necessary to imbue his mediatorial labors with limitless value. An almost infinite satisfaction was due God in view of the sins of humanity. No finite being could pay such a price and thus answer the full requirements of strict covenantal justice. | ||
| + | |||
| + | (3) Christ’s divinity was necessary to quit God’s punitive wrath. The covenant of works required perfect and personal obedience, upon penalty of death. The consequent defection of Adam and Eve from their covenantal obligation plunged the whole race into an age-long rebellion against God. Only the Father’s costly sacrifice of his beloved only begotten Son was adequate to fulfill the just sentence due us all from the Almighty. | ||
| + | |||
| + | (4) Christ’s divinity was necessary to secure the Father’s favor. Not because God had to be forced or coaxed to love his people. Not at all. Indeed, the atonement did not “make” God love us, but rather is the expression of his love and indispensable condition of his covenantal favor towards us. Nevertheless, once God set his love on us to redeem us, and infinite penalty and positive righteousness was required to secure his eternal benediction. Such an accomplishment required the divine Savior. | ||
| + | |||
| + | (5) Christ’s divinity was necessary to redeem a people for himself. The divine Christ literally purchased his people Christ earned our salvation. We are saved by works: his works! Only a divine savior could have paid the costly purchase price for redeeming us from our bondage to sin and death. | ||
| + | |||
| + | (6) Christ’s divinity was necessary for the pouring out of the Spirit on his people. It was essential that our salvation be both accomplished and applied. Christ told his disciples that it was necessary that he ascend to the right hand of the Father in order to send the Holy Spirit (Jn 16:7). Only the eternal God-man holds the right to send the Spirit where he will, that his salvation might be applied to all his people. | ||
| + | |||
| + | (7) Christ’s divinity was necessary for the conquest of all his people’s enemies. Our Lord, the Captain of our Salvation, not only made satisfaction for the condemning power of sin, but also decisively destroyed the might of Satan, the world, and death. This destructive work of redemption required the infinite capacities of the divine Captain of the Hosts of the Lord. | ||
| + | |||
| + | (8) Christ’s divinity was necessary to accomplish our everlasting salvation. Our eternal blessedness essentially consists in the enjoyment of our Savior. He is not only the author of our redemption, he is the matter of it. He is not merely the means of our salvation, he is the goal of it. In glory we are not only made happy by him, but in him. Only a divine savior could serve as the great fountain of blessedness for all redeemed humanity. | ||
. | . | ||
Revision as of 15:49, 17 August 2012
38. D. Perché era necessario che il Mediatore fosse Dio?
R. Era necessario che il Mediatore fosse Dio affinché Egli potesse e sostenere la natura umana e non venisse schiacciata dall'infinita ira di Dio e la potenza della morte; per dare valore ed efficacia alle Sue sofferenze, ubbidienza, ed intercessione; e per soddisfare la giustizia di Dio, procurare il Suo favore, acquistarsi un popolo particolare, dare loro il Suo Spirito, sconfiggere tutti i loro nemici, e portarli alla salvezza eterna.
Riferimenti biblici
- Il Mediatore deve essere Dio al fine di sostenere la natura umana e non essere schiacciata dall'ira di Dio e dalla potenza della morte. "...ma Dio lo risuscitò, avendolo sciolto dagli angosciosi legami della morte, perché non era possibile che egli fosse da essa trattenuto. Infatti Davide dice di lui: "Io ho avuto il Signore continuamente davanti agli occhi, perché egli è alla mia destra, affinché io non sia smosso" (Atti 2:24-25); "...dichiarato Figlio di Dio con potenza secondo lo Spirito di santità mediante la risurrezione dai morti; cioè Gesù Cristo, nostro Signore" (Romani 1:4); confrontato con "...il quale è stato dato a causa delle nostre offese ed è stato risuscitato per la nostra giustificazione" (Romani 4:25); "quanto più il sangue di Cristo, che mediante lo Spirito eterno offrì se stesso puro di ogni colpa a Dio, purificherà la nostra coscienza dalle opere morte per servire il Dio vivente" Ebrei 9:14).
- Il Mediatore doveva essere Dio al fine di dare valore ed efficacia alle Sue sofferenze, obbedienza ed intercessione. "Badate a voi stessi e a tutto il gregge, in mezzo al quale lo Spirito Santo vi ha costituiti vescovi, per pascere la chiesa di Dio, che egli ha acquistata con il proprio sangue" (Atti 20:28); "...quanto più il sangue di Cristo, che mediante lo Spirito eterno offrì se stesso puro di ogni colpa a Dio, purificherà la nostra coscienza dalle opere morte per servire il Dio vivente ... Perciò egli può salvare perfettamente quelli che per mezzo di lui si avvicinano a Dio, dal momento che vive sempre per intercedere per loro. Infatti a noi era necessario un sommo sacerdote come quello, santo, innocente, immacolato, separato dai peccatori ed elevato al di sopra dei cieli; il quale non ha ogni giorno bisogno di offrire sacrifici, come gli altri sommi sacerdoti, prima per i propri peccati e poi per quelli del popolo; poiché egli ha fatto questo una volta per sempre quando ha offerto se stesso. La legge infatti costituisce sommi sacerdoti uomini soggetti a debolezza; ma la parola del giuramento fatto dopo la legge costituisce il Figlio, che è stato reso perfetto in eterno" (Ebrei 9:14; 7:25-28).
- Il Mediatore doveva essere Dio al fine di soddisfare la giustizia di Dio. "...ma sono giustificati gratuitamente per la sua grazia, mediante la redenzione che è in Cristo Gesù. Dio lo ha prestabilito come sacrificio propiziatorio mediante la fede nel suo sangue, per dimostrare la sua giustizia, avendo usato tolleranza verso i peccati commessi in passato, al tempo della sua divina pazienza; e per dimostrare la sua giustizia nel tempo presente affinché egli sia giusto e giustifichi colui che ha fede in Gesù" (Romani 3:24-26).
- Il Mediatore doveva essere Dio per poter procurare il favore di Dio. "...a lode della gloria della sua grazia, che ci ha concessa nel suo amato Figlio" (Efesini 1:6); "Ma vedendo molti farisei e sadducei venire al suo battesimo, disse loro: «Razza di vipere, chi vi ha insegnato a sfuggire l'ira futura?" (Matteo 3:7).
- Il Mediatore doveva essere Dio per potersi acquistare un popolo particolare. "...aspettando la beata speranza e l'apparizione della gloria del nostro grande Dio e Salvatore, Cristo Gesù. Egli ha dato se stesso per noi per riscattarci da ogni iniquità e purificarsi un popolo che gli appartenga, zelante nelle opere buone" (Tito 2:13-14).
- Il Mediatore doveva essere Dio per portare il Suo popolo redento all'eterna salvezza. "Benché fosse Figlio, imparò l'ubbidienza dalle cose che soffrì; ... Su questo argomento avremmo molte cose da dire, ma è difficile spiegarle a voi perché siete diventati lenti a comprendere. Infatti, dopo tanto tempo dovreste già essere maestri; invece avete di nuovo bisogno che vi siano insegnati i primi elementi degli oracoli di Dio; siete giunti al punto che avete bisogno di latte e non di cibo solido. Ora, chiunque usa il latte non ha esperienza della parola di giustizia, perché è bambino; 14 ma il cibo solido è per gli adulti; per quelli, cioè, che per via dell'uso hanno le facoltà esercitate a discernere il bene e il male." (Ebrei 5:8-8; 11-15).
Commento
It was requisite that the Mediator should be God, that he might sustain and keep the human nature from sinking under the infinite wrath of God, and the power of death; give worth and efficacy to his sufferings, obedience and intercession; and so satisfy God’s justice, procure his favour, purchase a peculiar people, give his spirit to them; conquer all their enemies, and bring them to everlasting salvation.
Herein we may detect at least eight theological reasons for the indispensability of the deity of our Lord.
(1) Christ’s divinity was necessary to bear the force of the atonement. The weight of the wrath of God, for the sins of the world, is so great that no mere mortal could have borne it. It was Christ’s lot to drink that cup to its bitter dregs. Only a divine Savior could have survived it.
(2) Christ’s divinity was necessary to imbue his mediatorial labors with limitless value. An almost infinite satisfaction was due God in view of the sins of humanity. No finite being could pay such a price and thus answer the full requirements of strict covenantal justice.
(3) Christ’s divinity was necessary to quit God’s punitive wrath. The covenant of works required perfect and personal obedience, upon penalty of death. The consequent defection of Adam and Eve from their covenantal obligation plunged the whole race into an age-long rebellion against God. Only the Father’s costly sacrifice of his beloved only begotten Son was adequate to fulfill the just sentence due us all from the Almighty.
(4) Christ’s divinity was necessary to secure the Father’s favor. Not because God had to be forced or coaxed to love his people. Not at all. Indeed, the atonement did not “make” God love us, but rather is the expression of his love and indispensable condition of his covenantal favor towards us. Nevertheless, once God set his love on us to redeem us, and infinite penalty and positive righteousness was required to secure his eternal benediction. Such an accomplishment required the divine Savior.
(5) Christ’s divinity was necessary to redeem a people for himself. The divine Christ literally purchased his people Christ earned our salvation. We are saved by works: his works! Only a divine savior could have paid the costly purchase price for redeeming us from our bondage to sin and death.
(6) Christ’s divinity was necessary for the pouring out of the Spirit on his people. It was essential that our salvation be both accomplished and applied. Christ told his disciples that it was necessary that he ascend to the right hand of the Father in order to send the Holy Spirit (Jn 16:7). Only the eternal God-man holds the right to send the Spirit where he will, that his salvation might be applied to all his people.
(7) Christ’s divinity was necessary for the conquest of all his people’s enemies. Our Lord, the Captain of our Salvation, not only made satisfaction for the condemning power of sin, but also decisively destroyed the might of Satan, the world, and death. This destructive work of redemption required the infinite capacities of the divine Captain of the Hosts of the Lord.
(8) Christ’s divinity was necessary to accomplish our everlasting salvation. Our eternal blessedness essentially consists in the enjoyment of our Savior. He is not only the author of our redemption, he is the matter of it. He is not merely the means of our salvation, he is the goal of it. In glory we are not only made happy by him, but in him. Only a divine savior could serve as the great fountain of blessedness for all redeemed humanity. .
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