March 1

Keep watch over yourselves and the entire flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which He purchased with His own blood. — Acts 20:28 BSB

Atonement for sin stands or falls with the Deity of Christ. If we deny His Deity, we must also deny the atonement, for what worth or merit can the blood of a mere man have that would compel God to pardon millions of sins? The Socinians clearly understand this, which is why they deny the atonement altogether. But if there is no atonement, no sacrifice, no offering for sin, where can we find forgiveness and peace? No matter where we look, we are left with despair.

But when, through faith, we see the Son of God fulfilling the law, offering satisfaction to the perfect justice of God by His obedience, suffering, and death, and presenting Himself as a sacrifice for sin, then we see a glory and worth shining through every aspect of His suffering humanity. With this, we embrace Him fully, with every desire and affection of our regenerated souls. All true religion is found here; all our faith, hope, and love are centered and focused on Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Without this truth in our hearts and consciences, we have no religion worth the name—nothing that saves or sanctifies, nothing that frees us from the guilt, power, love, or practice of sin, nothing that sustains us in life, comforts us in death, or prepares us for eternity.

The way we come to a knowledge and faith in the Deity of Christ is first by recognizing our deep need for all that He is as a Savior. Then, the blessed Spirit reveals Him to our soul. When He is revealed, we see, through the eyes of faith, His pure and perfect humanity united with His eternal Deity, both existing together in one glorious Person, Immanuel, God with us. Until we experience this revelation, we may acknowledge the Deity of Christ from Scripture and believe it to some degree, but we will not have the personal, appropriating faith that allows us, like Thomas, to declare, “My Lord and my God.”