Christ, Our Atoning Substitute

Your debt, and the debt of sin for all humanity, has been paid in full.

April’s Awakening, Day 15

God is not content to leave all people under His wrath. Nor can he simply sweep sin under the rug of the universe. Therefore His love and His justice conspire to make a way for sinners to be saved and God’s justice to be vindicated. The answer is the death of Jesus Christ.

 —John Piper 

The cross means this: Jesus taking our place to satisfy the demands of God’s justice and turning aside God’s wrath.

 -James M. Boice 

Either sin is with you, lying on your shoulders, or it is lying on Christ, the Lamb of God. Now if it is lying on your back, you are lost; but if it is resting on Christ, you are free, and you will be saved. Now choose what you want.

 —Martin Luther  

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23 NIV 

As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin. Romans 3:10, 20 NIV  

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. 1 Peter 3:18 NIV  

“He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” 1 Peter 2:24 NIV   

            The wages of sin is death, and there is not one righteous. Adam and Eve, by free choice, lost their holiness attribute and hence, were forevermore unable to impart the “holiness gene” to any offspring. The holiness flame within humanity was extinguished and only God can give us the holiness flame back. God is the perfection of holiness, righteousness, and justice, and as such, cannot tolerate sin. There must be a perfect, sinless, unblemished sacrifice to atone for and make full reparation and restitution for all humanity’s sin.

              Thankfully, God is also the perfection of love, mercy, and grace and has provided to all humanity the only possible perfect atoning substitute to take our place—His Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, through His death on the Cross. All of humanity’s sin—past, present, and future—was laid upon Him. A person simply needs to believe in Christ and His sacrifice for us on the Cross, and we are redeemed from eternal separation from God and we are justified and imputed with the perfection and righteousness of Christ to our account. Our debt is forevermore paid. Come to the Cross and believe.