The Father’s Bargain by John Flavel (Tagalog)

John Flavel (1628–1691) Dito ating makikita ang sinabi ng Ama ng Siya ay nakipagkasundo kay Kristo para sa iyo.

Ama: Aking anak, narito ang grupo ng mga Dukha at miserableng kaluluwa, na sukdulang nagpahamak sa kanilang sarili, at ngayon ay nahaharap sa aking hustisya. Hinihingi ng aking batas na may tumayo para sa kanila o malulugod ang Ako sa kanilang walang hanggang pagkawasak: Anong dapat na mangyari sa kanila?

Anak: O aking Ama, ganito ang pag-ibig at habag ko sa kanila, na imbes na sila ay magdusa sa pangwalang hanggan, ako ang tatayo para sa kanila. Kung ano man ang utang nila sayo, Panginoon, ibigay mo ang lahat sa akin, nang sa gayon wala na silang dapat bayaran pa. Hingin mo ito sa aking kamay. Mas Pipiliin kong magdusa sa iyong poot kaysa sila. Sa akin, O Ama, sa akin mo iatang ang kanilang pagkakautang.

Ama: Ngunit, Anak ko, kung ikaw ay hahalili para sa kanila, dapat mong bayaran hanggang sa huling patak ng poot ko. Walang kang aasahang awa, kung sila ay kakaawaan ko, hindi kita kaaawaan.

Anak: Oo, Ama, mangyari nawa, iatang mo lahat sa akin, kaya ko itong dalhin, at kahit na ito’y magdulot sa akin nang pagdurusa, mawasak ang aking kayamanan, mawala ang aking pagmamay-ari, ganunpaman, malulugod akong akuin ito.

Mga mananampalatayang walang utang na loob, takpan nawa ng kahihiyan ang inyong mukha; pag-isipan mo ito, Si Kristo ba ay karapat-dapat upang ipagpalit mo sa walang kabuluhang bagay, na ikaw ay manghina sa maliit na kahirapan, magreklamo , na ito ay mahirap at iyan ay malupit? Kung alam mo ang biyaya ng Panginoong Hesu-Kristo sa kamangha-manghang pagpapapakababa Niya para sa iyo, hindi mo yan magagawa.

---

“Do you want to see how much the Father hates sin? When His Son bore our sins, He crushed Him!” Let this control you. Let this be your comfort. That no sin committed by the believer is more powerful than the love of God manifested in the cross of Christ.”

~ Paul Washer

Watch Paul Washer’s reflection on this here.

Here you may suppose the Father to say, when driving his bargain with Christ for you:

Father. My son, here is a company of poor miserable souls, that have utterly undone themselves, and now lie open to my justice! Justice demands satisfaction for them, or will satisfy itself in the eternal ruin of them: What shall be done for these souls And thus Christ returns.
Son. O my Father, such is my love to, and pity for them, that rather than they shall perish eternally, I will be responsible for them as their Surety; bring in all thy bills, that I may see what they owe thee; Lord, bring them all in, that there may be no after-reckonings with them; at my hand shalt thou require it. I will rather choose to suffer thy wrath than they should suffer it: upon me, my Father, upon me be all their debt.
Father. But, my Son, if thou undertake for them, thou must reckon to pay the last mite, expect no abatements; if I spare them, I will not spare thee.
Son. Content, Father, let it be so; charge it all upon me, I am able to discharge it: and though it prove a kind of undoing to me, though it impoverish all my riches, empty all my treasures, (for so indeed it did, 2 Cor. 8: 9. Though he was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor) yet I am content to undertake it.

Blush, ungrateful believers, O let shame cover your faces; judge in yourselves now, has Christ deserved that you should stand with him for trifles, that you should shrink at a few petty difficulties, and complain, this is hard, and that is harsh? O if you knew the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ in this his wonderful condescension for you, you could not do it.

SOLI DEO GLORIA!