Blessed are the Redeemed: notes on Plantinga 4

The fall of humanity, through an act of disobedience, brought into action the full measure of God's grace towards in creation. His love and mercy was first shown immediately after the fall as The Lord "made garments of skin," and clothed his fallen creation. Throughout the history of the Israelis, God continually showed his love by forgiving them of their offenses, which they didn't seem to be able to not commit. All the while, God was giving foreshadows of the ultimate redemption that was to come in the person of Jesus Christ.

On the cross, Christ inaugurated the new world order and put the sting of death to death in glorious fashion. Christ death on the cross makes me think of the absolute power, knowledge, and wisdom of God. If one really thought about the way in which Christ conquered death, you may quickly realize what I realized, Christ put to death by way of death, and he did away with the power of sin by way of sin (with John Piper calls 'Spectacular SIn'). What I mean is this, the way in which Christ died was a sin, not just a sin but the worst atrocity ever committed, WE KILLED GOD. But, by the same death, which was a result of sin, God made death commit suicide. Now, this to me shows just how awesome of a God me serve.

By his act of using death to take away the sting of death and sin to make sin powerless, our God showed the infinite level of his sovereignty. In the same way, God shows just how sovereign he is over his creating. In his saving act, Christ (the second person in the trinity), brought the sovereign reign of God to light by showing God dominion over the power of hell and recusing his people from the clutches of the devil. God will further show is omnipotences when he breaks in the official of his everlasting Kingdom and does away with sin altogether.

"OUR GOD REIGNS, FOREVER HIS KINGDOM REIGNS"