Our Gospel Jump-Start post this week is an encouraging gospel illustration from Australian David Jackson. He reminds us that as Christians we stand on “burned ground.” Jackson writes:
In Australia, we have the land area the size of the continental United States, a population of twenty million people and two hundred million sheep. Sheep eat grass and do well in large areas of fertile grassland. A lighting strike on dry prairie grass will produce a fire that can travel as fast as the wind that drives it. Such fires will outrun a flock of panicking sheep and wipe them out. It would also take out any shepherds on foot who were with them. It is an awful thing to see. Safety in such a crisis is found in doing exactly the opposite of one’s first instinct. The only safe place in a grass fire is on burned ground. So with the fire approaching, it is best to light another fire and let it run away, and as it does, move in behind it and stand on burned ground. This simple technique has stimulated many a preacher to see a parallel with the work of Christ, who died in our place. When I take a step of faith and accept Jesus as Lord, I move onto burned ground. Grass can’t be burned twice, nor can a person’s sin be punished twice. God cannot and will not bring down his fiery judgement on Jesus and then on me for my sin. (Crying Out for Vindication, pg. 37)
Christian, as you begin this week be reminded that you are in Christ by faith and God’s wrath has been exhausted by Christ on your behalf. In Christ, we stand on burned ground! As you go about your week be reminded that not only is God not wrathful toward you, but in fact the very opposite, you are beloved (Eph. 1:6).
“Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” -Romans 6:3-4
If thou hast my discharge procured,
And freely in my room endured
The whole of wrath divine;
Payment God cannot twice demand,
First at my bleeding Surety’s hand,
And then again at mine. -Augustus Toplady
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live. -Stuart Townend
Written by Matt Baker