DIVINE WORKS ASCRIBED TO CHRIST

1. Christ forgives the sins of man and gives eternal life. (Mark 2:5-12 with Isaiah 43:25 (compare
Psalm 51:4) John 10:28 Colossians 3:13)
The principle found all through the Bible is that forgiveness is God’s business. “With you there is
forgiveness, that you may be feared” (Psalm 130:4, ESV). “You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive”
(Psalm 86:5, NASB). “To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness” (Daniel 9:9, ESV). When Jesus
displayed His power to forgive sins, He clearly showed that He was the Son of God wielding God’s
authority in this world. “Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (Luke 5:21). Noone; Jesus is God
Incarnate.

Forgiveness of sin in every dispensation has always been based on Jesus’ death on the cross (see
Hebrews 9:15). In the Old Testament, sins were forgiven on the basis of Jesus’ death on the cross, of
which the animal sacrifices were but a foreshadowing. During the life of Christ, sins were forgiven on
the basis of His yet-future death on the cross—the benefits of that sacrifice were granted to those who
had faith in Jesus. Now, by faith, we look back on the death and resurrection of Christ and receive
God’s forgiveness. The good news is as Paul preached, “My friends, I want you to know that through
Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you” (Acts 13:38). When we trust Christ, the word to us is
the same as that spoken to the forgiven woman in Simon’s house: “Your faith has saved you; go in
peace” (Luke 7:50).

2. Christ will raise the dead in the resurrection. (John 5:21 John 5:28-29 John 11:24-25 Compare
Philippians 3:20-21)

God has all power and authority and is the only Onie with the power to kill and to make
alive. God manifested this power to make the Israelites believe that He had sent Moses.
When Moses put his hand into his cloak it became leprous like snow and someone with
leprosy in those days was considered dead. When he put his hand in his cloak again his
hand was restored to its normal state. This was a visible manifestation that God has power
to raise the dead. When Elijah raised the widow’s son from the dead to life, the woman
immediately know it was an act of God and said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man
of God and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is truth”. (1 Kings 17:24) Only God
has the power to raise the dead. Jesus Christ raised the dead because He is both man
and God.

3. Christ is the Final Judge of the world. (Matthew 25:31-46 John 5:22 Acts 10:42 Acts 17:31 2
Corinthians 5:10)

Jesus Christ is the only One qualified to act as Judge of all mankind, because He is both God and
man in one person. As God He knows all things. His eyes are as a flame of fire, piercing into the
very soul of man, discerning his hidden motives for his actions. All things are open and laid bare
before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. Human judges are at a decided
disadvantage, not knowing all the facts. That will not be the case, however, on the final day. Christ
will bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts.
Human judges also face the disadvantage of being sinners themselves, thus tending to be either
too strict or too lenient. Jesus, on the other hand, is perfect. He loves righteousness, and hates
wickedness. The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether. Furthermore, as
man, Jesus Christ is uniquely qualified to judge, because He stands as one of us, fully identifying
with us in all our weaknesses and sorrow, having been tempted in every way just as we are. God
gave Jesus authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man.

4. Christ’s authority over the devil

Jesus cast out demons with a word of authority, not a ritual. Because Christ had supreme power,
demons always obeyed his commands. As fallen angels, demons knew Jesus' true identity as the
Son of God before the rest of the world, and they were afraid of him. The very reason that the
Son of God took on flesh and blood was “that through death he might render powerless him who
had the power of death, that is, the devil” (Hebrews 2:14). When Jesus died on the cross, he took
away our sins, satisfying the demands of God’s law, and he triumphed over Satan, disarming the
power that he holds over people–the power of death, because sin leads to death (Colossians 2:13-
15). Jesus now waits for the final judgment and the decisive victory over Satan to be accomplished,
when he will be “thrown into the lake of fire” and “tormented day and night for ever and ever”
(Revelation 20:10)