This is the whole truth of Christ’s Blood Atonement, this is the essence of the Gospel, and this is the way Christ is able to forgive undeserving sinners: Suppose you had heinously murdered someone. You were a cold-blooded, first-degree murderer; you were tried, pronounced guilty, and condemned to die for capital murder, and you really deserved it. But the Governor of your state was merciful and very desirous to save your life, and yet at the same time, the state’s justice demands that someone must die on account of the heinous deed that you’ve done. Now, how is the Governor to do this? This is the main question. How can the Governor be inflexibly just, and yet allow you to escape death?
But then on the day of your execution, a dear friend of yours goes into the Governor’s office and pleads for you to be spared. Your friend says to the Governor, “The poor murderer on death row that is scheduled to die today, he’s as guilty as sin and he deserves to be executed. I cannot argue with you, he deserves the death sentence. I think his sentence is just, but Governor, if you please, I love that prisoner so, if you will execute me instead of him, I will be very willing to die in his place today.” The Governor is amazed at this act of love, but he agrees to commute the criminal’s death sentence, and let him go free. The Governor orders the warden and the guards, “This innocent one will die today in the place of the guilty one, take him away to die.” The Governor signs the death-warrant, and the innocent man is taken away to the death chamber.
The Governor is now just in letting the guilty murderer go free. The Governor cannot execute two men for the same crime. The real murderer is granted a free pardon and walks away, and not one guard touches him on way out of the prison. All the guards and the other guilty prisoners look on with amazement as the pardoned man walks out the front gate of the prison, scot-free. This is same way Christ Jesus saves guilty sinners. Jesus says, “Father, I love these poor, guilty sinners so, let Me suffer and die instead of them!” “Very well!” says the Father, “Thou shalt die in the sinner’s place on Calvary’s Cross, and the sinner that trusts in your perfect work will go free.”
So you see, Christ Jesus bore the guilt of your sin, He suffered the punishment which you ought to have suffered, so now, if you believe on Him, and trust that Christ was punished for you, you can never ever be punished for your sins. You see, God cannot punish the same sin twice. God did not turn away His wrath on human sin, but He poured it all on His Son’s heart on Calvary; God did not ignore your sin-debt, but it was paid for with drops of precious blood from Christ’s veins. Christ shed His blood so that you would be spared from the wrath of hell. Jesus tasted death for you; He has a special interest in you. Now today, the receipt for your sins is nailed to the Cross, it states, “Paid In Full by God’s Blood.” All you have to do now is come to the Cross by faith and take the receipt freely, and you can go free forever.
Stop and think of Christ dying for you, Look and live – look up to the Cross and see your Creator dying in your place, the Incarnate God bleeding for you, the Sinless Substitute paying for your sin’s guilt, the Innocent Sacrifice satisfying the vengeance and wrath of God for your vile sins, the Lamb of God delivering rebellious sinners through mercy and blood. Only God can forgive sins, and only faith in God’s precious blood can wash away your sins from your soul. Trust only in the God-Man that died for you on Calvary and rose from the dead, and you shall be saved. You deserved Hell, but Christ took your hell, and now if you believe on His Blood, all that is left for you is New Jerusalem, the streets of gold, and the glory of God forever. That is the Gospel in plain English.
