How the Crucifixion of Christ was a Spiritual Victory.

How the Crucifixion of Christ was a Spiritual Victory.

Let me start by saying I hardly feel worthy of tackling such a weighty topic! I am not an officially taught theologian, but am self-taught and found this line of thought on my own. So, it may seem I start from the middle and then go to the beginning and then the end but this is how my personal journey brought me to this explanation I will share with you now.
The new testament describes spiritual maturity as

But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Hebrews 5:14
The writer was contrasting baby believers as needing milk, not meat. I believe it is part of being human to have perception and feelings about what is good and what is evil. Therefore, with that premise, you need not be a believer that Jesus is the Christ to contemplate this article. I think most people know that the Bible begins with Genesis and the creation of everything, including Adam and Eve. I believe the fall by temptation to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil is also commonly known. Mankind and the earth and everything in it then became contaminated, or susceptible to sin and corruption. Hence the term “original sin” means every human is born an imperfect being susceptible to corruption and sin.
You may wonder as I did, “Why is Jesus unrighteous death so much more important than any other man who has died unjustly?” I actually felt bad for wondering that but I really didn’t know the answer until I read a book called “Behold I Give Unto You Power” by Bill Bilheimer (I think is the correct spelling of his last name). It was a gift from TBN television station in the late 1980’s when I first became a believer. It was poorly put together with repeated pages and typos but worth it’s weight in spiritual gold! His premise was that there is a cosmic rule of good and evil lead by who else but God and Satan.

God had given the earth to Adam and Eve to have dominion and to tame. When Satan convinced them to disobey God they inadvertently transferred that dominion to Satan, hence: a fallen world. He further described it as them signing over the title deed to the planet and everything on it, man, beast and all of creation.
Thank God that is not the end of the story! It is not just dust to dust, ashes to ashes, mosquitoes, thorns, pain and death.
Without debating when He decided to do it God did make a way of redemption. I would even argue a way back to Heaven on earth. Which brings me to my favorite Bible verse, Galatians 3:13-29

13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
15 Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto.
16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.
17 And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.
18 For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.
19 Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.
20 Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one.
21 Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.
22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.
23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

The law? Wait, what? How the heck did we get into the law? Okay, I admit I am skipping a few thousand years to over simplify the situation. A huge yadayadayada which I hope isn’t blasphemy! Remember tho the question was how the crucifixion of Christ was a spiritual victory. God and man have a long relationship dealing with sin that came about as a result of the fall in the garden. Part of that relationship is explained in those verses, that God made promises to Abraham called the Abrahamic covenant. That promise to Abraham was before the law and the law did not alter that covenant. It was many years into my Christian walk before I realized those promises applied to me in that they had never been revoked.

1 Timothy 1:9-15
Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,
10 For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;
11 According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.
12 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;
13 Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.
14 And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

The heart of the matter is that since the fall we are all sinners, unable to keep the law of God. Sure we can do our best but we can never be perfect. Paul was a great man of God we see in Romans Chapter seven his struggle:

7 Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?
2 For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.
3 So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.
4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.
5 For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.
6 But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.
7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.
8 But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.
9 For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.
10 And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.
11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.
12 Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.
13 Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.
14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.
16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.
17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

Being familiar with this passage and the law itself I am relieved to know that I have been redeemed from the law because of what Galatians 3:13 has stated:
“Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, for it is written cursed is everyone who hangeth from a tree.”

That is how I justify skipping thousands of years of back and forth between God and man over the law. He knew we couldn’t keep it! It only serves to show us that we need a savior. The law reminds us that the fall placed sin within us whether we chose it, or like it, it is there and has to be dealt with one way or another.
The promises of Abraham go a step further and describe a blessedness of a relationship with God himself. It leaves one free to stop the repetitive self condemnation that is so common to the human psyche. When you realize that Christ redeemed us and fall in love with Him for it! He did not have to leave heaven to come walk among us in the dust, persecuted by the very people He created and had come to save. “Despising the shame” but going quietly to the cross to finish the dreaded task. What task, you ask? The task of getting the title deed to the earth back in the hands of man! Yes! Snap! Victory! Satan is not omnipotent and wise like God and thought he was winning by getting rid of the Son. What he failed to take into account is the cosmic rule of good versus evil. You can not put a perfect man to death and have no repercussions.

1 Corinthians 2King James Version (KJV) explains Satan’s mistake and our benefit rather nicely, please read it prayerfully.
2 And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.
2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
3 And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.
4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
6 Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:
7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:

8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? but we have the mind of Christ.

Satan and his minions screwed up in a major, unending, cosmic way! All we have to do to avail ourselves of the blessedness of this huge error is to believe that Christ died to pay the penalty for our personal sin. He took upon Himself our punishment! That is what it means to be “saved” to accept this as fact and prayerfully tell Him we understand and appreciate that we are being set free.

1 Corinthians 15:19
If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

This verse addresses the fact that the benefit of a relationship with Christ is for the afterlife as well as this life.
I do believe the church as we know it has done the kingdom of God a great disservice by presenting Christ crucifixion as an escape from hell and that’s it. No, that is not it! It is about leading a life redeemed from the curse of the law and the fall. Christ being risen from the grave has now become our intercessor with God the Father and has sent us the Holy Spirit to comfort and guide us.
Romans 8 King James Version (KJV)
8 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,
21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.
26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.
34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I apologize for copying entire chapters when I am referring only to a few versus. I can’t help myself, it all seems so very important to me.
God created man to have dominion over the earth and to walk with Him and be in a loving relationship with Him. I assure you it was no slithering snake that approached Adam and Eve but a luminous, shining creature with access to, and knowledge of, the creator Himself. Himself isn’t even accurate because God is a triune being but for the purposes of this piece I won’t go into that: I only ask that you remember it. Perhaps that will be the beginning of your spiritual journey to figure out what a triune God is beyond Father, Son and Holy Spirit. “Oh the depths and the riches of the knowledge of God!” It never ends once you start caring to learn about God.
“He who comes to God must believe that He is (God) and He rewards those who diligently seek Him” I believe that is in the book of Hebrews. The point is: God wants us to want Him. I have heard it put like this “Every soul has a vacuum size void that can only be filled by God.” I really like that definition because I spent half my life trying to fill the void with things that didn’t ever satisfy me. God’s desire has never changed and He has been more than generous in providing the way for us to get back into relationship with Him. Jesus sacrificed His life to make a way for us to be reconciled to God the father. He didn’t have to do it. He could have stayed in heaven unscathed, living with His father in perfection. That alone is marvelous beyond definition but it is only the beginning of belief.

I hope and pray this has touched your spirit and you will follow through with your own research. I suggest the book of John, the gospel of John, not John I, II, & III. Those are great too of course but not what I am talking about. I also suggest studying a Bible alone to begin with because other people might tarnish what you read. We live in a spiritual world and you don’t need to be influenced by God knows what spirit, living in God knows who! Anyone can say they are a Christian, it does not make it so. The only intercessor you need is the Holy Spirit and Christ Himself and all you have to do to get that is to prayerfully ask.
I hope this has meant something to you and got you thinking about God, salvation and all things spiritual. Please contact me if I can do anything for you, to point you in the right direction. I would appreciate an upvote if you made it through the entire article, it would really encourage me to keep writing. Thank you!