Study 11 – I Find no Fault in Him

Under the Old Covenant, an individual bringing a sacrifice to the priest was not concerned about his own appearance. He didn't say to himself, 'I hope the priest doesn't see the tear in my coat or the filthy mark on my tunic.' His eyes were on the lamb.

While the priest inspected it, the man would be thinking, 'Is the offering acceptable? Will the priest find something wrong with it? Is it good enough for God? Will it atone for me?' When the priest returned the lamb to its owner he would say, 'I find no fault in him' When the chief priests brought the Lamb of God before Pilate, Pilate said, 'I find no fault in this man' (Luke 23:4 AV) and all heaven agreed.

Jesus is 'a lamb without blemish or defect' (1 Pet. 1:19). He has fully satisfied the Father on our behalf. It is therefore pointless our trying to add any personal righteousness to Christ's sacrifice in order to make it more acceptable to God. Something which is already perfect cannot be improved.

This is why we can 'approach the throne of grace with confidence' (Heb. 4:16). We are confident not in ourselves, but in the One who gave His life for us.

'Yes,' you may say. 'I realise that I can't do anything to save myself, but surely God accepts me only if I continue to do righteous things.' No! You must understand that you are righteous. Righteousness, like salvation, is a free gift. We 'receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness' (Rom. 5:17).

Paul was once 'as for legalistic righteousness, faultless' (Phil. 3:6). He thought that he had to work at being righteous – until he became a Christian. Then he turned his back on all his strivings and wanted to 'be found in him (Christ) not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ – the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith' (Phil. 3:9).

Righteousness comes free with Jesus! Just as Adam made you sinful, so Christ makes you righteous. You are not righteous some of the time, but always. Jesus is 'the same yesterday and today and for ever' (Heb. 13:8). When God looks at you, He sees the glorious righteousness of His Son and declares, 'I find no fault in you.' And all heaven agrees.

To Meditate On

Once righteous, always righteous

'But … a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known … This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe' (Rom. 3:21, 22).

'God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God' (2 Cor. 5:21).

To Consider

What does Jesus, our high priest, do for us?

• Heb. 4:15
• Heb. 2:18
• Heb. 7:26

Food For Thought

READ Hebrews 10:1-18.

WRITE DOWN the differences between the old legal system and the new system which Christ has established.

READ Hebrews 10:19-25.

WHAT THINGS are we encouraged to do in the light of Christ's sacrifice?

Be Inspired

New hope. New attitudes. New feelings. New direction. New destiny.
The newborn shakes his head, blinks, looks around at his first glimpse of new life, and he can hardly believe it. And the world? Why, of course, it rushes on. Unconcerned, busy, preoccupied; it has to 'stay on schedule'. Someone's eternal new birth has occurred. Although it doesn't attract a second glance from those standing around, God's kingdom is being silently enlarged.
CHARLES SWINDOLL

To Sing

Pick up a songbook, get away on your own and worship Jesus for dying for you.

'Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!' (John 1:29)

'"In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to my name, because my name will be great among the nations," says the LORD Almighty' (Mal. 1:11).