He Beat Down Death

01 December 2011 by Brad Williams

Q. 54. How is Christ exalted in his sitting at the right hand of God?
A. Christ is exalted in his sitting at the right hand of God, in that as God-man he is advanced to the highest favor with God the Father, with all fullness of joy, glory, and power over all things in heaven and earth; and doth gather and defend his church, and subdue their enemies; furnisheth his ministers and people with gifts and graces, and maketh intercession for them.

Q. 55. How doth Christ make intercession?
A. Christ maketh intercession, by his appearing in our nature continually before the Father in heaven, in the merit of his obedience and sacrifice on earth, declaring his will to have it applied to all believers; answering all accusations against them, and procuring for them quiet of conscience, notwithstanding daily failings, access with boldness to the throne of grace, and acceptance of their persons and services.

You were dead and without hope. You were a casualty of your own sins and the collective wickedness of men. You died because you joined the rebellion, and your corpse was stacked in the heap with the rest of the insurrectionists. You were rotting in your own filth.

But you woke up from death. The Holy Spirit, the God whom you spurned, breathed life into you again. Over His shoulder beamed the face of your Savior, Jesus Christ. You know now that Jesus died to save you, and that He beat down death to make you whole. The gentle Spirit smiles as He cleans you, happy that you are transfixed with the beauty of the Son of God.

In gratitude, you give yourself to God and vow that you will serve Him and love Him. Desperate to repay the kindness you have found, you seek to build His kingdom, to make disciples, to make a difference in this world for the glorious King. You try so hard; you really do. But you fail. Every time you try to do good, you find that evil is present in you. You still feel the stink of death at work in your body.

All your righteousness appears to you as filthy rags. You feel worthless. You realize you are not changing the world. Your strength is so small. You are so frail. You are still beset with sin, and sin still feels good. You feel the cold tentacles of despair sap the strength from your soul. You are not worthy, and you know it.

Patiently, the Spirit still tends you. He washes you with the warmth of His love. He sits you up so you can see Jesus better, and the light of His countenance stirs and comforts you. His love will not fail you. His resurrection power is flowing through your tired soul. He is interceding for you, and the Spirit who awakened you will not stop His work until you are whole. You are family now.

You were not awakened because you were good. He does not love you because you can build Him anything. He does not need your service. He is not washing you for any reason other than this: He loves you with an everlasting love, and He has redeemed you at a price that will never be ignored.