Today’s Gospel Jump-Start post comes from John Owen. In his book, The Transforming Power of the Gospel, Jerry Bridges quotes Owen’s work, Communion with the Triune God. I found the quote to be a much-needed Gospel reminder and wanted to share it with you. It’s lengthy and not an easy read, but worth working through. Bridges quoting Owen wrote:
It is the daily exercise of the saints of God, to consider the great provocation that is in sin—their sins. This the saints do: they gather up their sins, lay them in the balance of the law, see and consider their weight and desert…
They hearken to the voice of Christ calling them to him with their burden. “Come unto me, all you that are weary and heavy laden”—“Come with your burdens; come, you poor soul, with your guilt of sin.” Why? What to do? “Why, this is mine,” says Christ; “this agreement I made with my Father, that I should come, and take your sins, and bear them away; they were my lot. Give me your burden, give me all your sins. You know not what to do with them; I know how to dispose of them well enough, so that God shall be glorified, and your soul delivered.”
They lay down their sins at the cross of Christ, upon his shoulders. This is faith’s great and bold venture upon the grace, faithfulness, and truth of God, to stand by the cross and say, “Ah! He is bruised for my sins, and wounded for my transgressions, and the chastisement of my peace is upon him. He is thus made sin for me. Here I give up my sins to him that is able to bear them, to undergo them. He requires it of my hands, that I should be content that he should undertake for them; and that I heartily consent unto.” This is every day’s work; I know not how any peace can be maintained with God without it.
Having thus by faith given up their sins to Christ, and seen God laying them all on him, they draw nigh and take from him that righteousness which he has wrought out for them, so fulfilling the whole of that of the apostle, “He was made sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
This exceedingly endears the souls of the saints to him and constrains them to put a due valuation upon him, his love, his righteousness, and grace. When they find, and have the daily use of it, then they do it. Who would not love him? “I have been with the Lord Jesus,” may the poor soul say: “I have left my sins, my burdens with him; and he has given me his righteousness, wherewith I am going with boldness to God.”
Written by Matt Baker