Jesus endured the contradiction of sinners against Himself, the evil words and deeds. But still His pulse throbbed for them, His heart was still warm with love, in agony of spirit He prayed for them, His heart welled over for sinners, they wickedly and willfully pierced His hands and feet. Jesus was the Friend to sinners His whole life through. He was fond of sinners, He made His grave with the wicked, He was numbered with the transgressors. God’s sword of justice must fall on someone. The awful force of divine wrath fell on Jesus. Christ put Himself into the sinner’s place, and then, as if He had been the sinner, though He did no sin and in Him is no sin; He suffers, bleeds, and dies, the very veins of God were emptied.
The God-man literally suffered for me. He endured the torments of hell, suffered the eternal wrath of God. When it comes to sin trouble, you must get your help from God. The public school and news media want God erased completely out of your mind. The eternal wrath of God was condensed into a cup. Herein is love...God commendeth His love, greater love hath no man than this...The Savior died, buried, He rises again, and then spent 40 days proving His love for sinners. The one thing that is needful for eternal life is trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ. You cannot be perfect, you have done much wrong, but he that believeth in the Lord Jesus Christ has His sins forgiven.
You know the story: Christ came down from heaven and took the sins of the whole world upon His shoulders. Freedom is liberty to do right. God came forth to smite the sinner. Justice said, “Where is the guilty sinner?”, and Christ came and stood in the sinner’s place, and God’s sword went through the Savior’s heart. Why? That the sinner might go free. Christ was the Substitute for you. If God punished Christ, He will never punish you. If Jesus Christ paid your debts, you are acquitted forever. Rest only upon Christ’s sinless blood Atonement, and you are a saved soul on the spot.
God’s infinite love and wisdom devised the plan to save sinners. The eternal Son of God became a man, God’s divine nature dwelt in its fullness in the Mediator, Christ Jesus the Lord. Justice burned and blazed within Him, and cast Him into a bloody sweat. Salvation is not by what you bring to Christ, but what you take from Him. You are to be a receiver first, and then you give yourself to God: you come empty, having nothing but your sin and misery, and as empty, undeserving sinners you receive His fullness.
The plan of salvation, the only plan, you must obtain God’s love and mercy and holiness by receiving it through the Mediator, Jesus Christ. Be aware of your need, don’t be ignorant of the Gospel. Why halt ye between two opinions? Why do you hesitate? Stop dilly-dallying with your immortal soul. This is the safe way, the only way which is open to you this very moment. Needy sinners never think of putting your righteousness side by side with the divine Righteousness of Christ, never mix your works with Jesus' blood. Christ wants nothing from you, come and take everything from Him. Put not off this matter, today, hear His voice, harden not your hearts, hasten now to the place where God Himself will meet with you – the Cross. Neglect not the grace of God. All fullness dwells in Jesus. Come empty as you are. Jesus never did reject a real despairing sinner, and He never can or will. He cleanses the guilty and receives the lost.
Christ took upon Himself the responsibility for our sins. He stood in the sinner’s place, He was punished as if He committed our sin, though in Him was no sin. The vials of wrath that were due to human sin were poured upon Him. The sword of justice that we should have received was plunged into the Savior’s heart and soul. The Just dies for the unjust, the offended Judge suffers for the criminal’s offenses against His own law. Oh, the matchless plan of Substitution. The Lord takes sinful and lost man as he is, and put Another in his place who is able to bear his sins, and then puts man into the place of Jesus Christ. Hear it again, it puts sinners into the Savior’s place, and God looks the upon Savior as if He had been the sinner, and then upon the sinner as if he is the Perfect One.
There must be a change of places – a transference. Christ and the sinner must change places. He was made sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. This removes all our attempts to help. Christ’s sweat and bled his soul away to accomplish our salvation. Self-righteous sinners stand back, you are not welcome at the Cross. The beggar says give, but the sinner must ask ‘forgive.’ If you are in extreme danger, conscious of your sin, and fearful of your sordid past and future sin, come now to the Cross and reason with your Crucified Creator.
