Take a minute from your busy schedule, look away from this world's noise, and focus your heart's interested attention on the Lamb of God: Behold the Sinner's Substitute, The Eternal Sin-Offering. This is the Good News of the Gospel in the simplest of terms.
God could not pass by me without punishing my sins: His Holiness and Justice demanded that I should die forever for my crimes. Nevertheless, Through the tender mercy of my God; whereby the Dayspring from on high hath visited us, To give Light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide my feet into the Way of Peace. But God who is rich in Mercy, sent His dear Son to the Cross of Calvary, and now God can be Merciful to me a sinner, and yet still be Just and Righteous. The wrath due to me fell on Jesus' head. In JESUS' blood, my sin's awful debt was paid. Divine Justice can demand no more, and mercy can now be shown to me for Jesus' sake. The Savior died for me, and I point to His Atoning Blood, and say the Precious Blood has made my Peace with God.
I stood before God as guilty as can be, I have felt the evil of my sins against God, I owned my eternal death sentence, but alas, I saw that my death sentence has been executed upon on Innocent one. The Holy Spirit gave me an interest in the Savior's Precious Blood. I looked to the Lamb of God; I trusted in Him and I was helped; and I took my place as no longer being liable for my sin's death sentence. My death penalty cannot be exacted twice. Two individuals cannot be punished for the same offense unless both of them are guilty. I rejoiced when I heard this Good News, and at once I fled to JESUS for refuge and deliverance.
God cannot smite me any more, for He has smitten Christ instead of me. My sin debt has been fully paid with the Son of God's Precious Blood, and never be demanded of me ever again in time or Eternity. Christ nailed by sins' payment in full to the Cross in front of heaven, mankind and hell. Eternal Justice cannot charge me now with the penalty of my sins, for my sins, once for all, were charged to my Substitute and bore away by Him. My Surety did away with my debt, and now I am Free and rest in perfect Peace.
All of this was made possible, only because JEHOVAH delights in Mercy and devised the plan of Substitution. The Justice of JEHOVAH and the dreadful penalty due to my sins demanded that the Innocent Surety, The Lord Jesus Christ, suffer and die in my place and bring exemption and freedom to me, or else God could not be both Just and the Justifier of a sinner like me. JESUS suffered as "my" Substitute, paid the quittance, and discharged me from all my debts with His own life's Blood. JEHOVAH laid my sins upon Christ, so He could never lay them upon me. JESUS was punished instead of me; He did Wonderously for me. So now there is no possibility for me to be punished. I know for a fact that God for Christ's sake has justly forgiven me, only because of Emmanuel's Blood.
The Lamb of God, the only Surety, undertook to make Atonement for my sins, and prepared the Way (John 14:6) to deliver me from the punishment to which I rendered myself liable before God. JESUS bore the full wrath of God's Divine Justice on my behalf. My sins have been imputed (charged/transferred) to the Mediator, the Surety, the Justifier, the Lamb of God Himself. Therefore, my sins are no longer mine. I am forgiven and discharged from sin's prison, and go my way rejoicing in peace and freedom. God cannot impute to me my trespasses any more, because God laid all my iniquities upon JESUS, my Surety and Substitute.
So I was once guilty in the sight of God, but now I am no longer condemned, because Another has taken upon Him the condemnation and wrath which I truly deserved and was helplessly exposed to. Christ Jesus voluntarily came to Earth, made of a woman, made under the Law, and then obeyed and fulfilled the Law perfectly, so now according to the purpose and will of God, the Righteousness of Christ is imputed (granted/given) to me freely, for Jesus' sake.
Christ stands condemned in my place, and I stand Innocent in Christ's place. As JEHOVAH looked upon Christ as He had been the sinner, yet He was without sin, but the Father dealt with the Son as if He was the guilty one. So now, JEHOVAH looks upon me as Righteous, even though I have no righteousness of my own. God delights in me and regards me as being covered in the Redeemer's Righteousness. My Faith now feasts and rests only upon my Substitute's Blood and Righteousness.
For Jesus' sake, I am set free from my sins, for Christ bore my sins in His own body on the tree. Jesus became Sin itself for me, so I could receive His Righteousness freely by Faith. I am now Righteous before JEHOVAH forever for Christ's sake, for the Righteousness of Christ is mine freely by the divine operation called Imputation. Without any works of mine whatsoever I am justified freely through faith in His Precious Blood, according to the righteousness of Faith.
JEHOVAH put Christ where I was, and then He put me where Christ is. Now the Highest Court in the universe says to me: Not Guilty, Absolved, Acquitted forever, For Jesus' sake. I believe and am Sure that thou are the Christ, the Son of the living God. Yea, Lord: I believe that Thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world. I believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and now my Soul is saved.
My soul needs the one and only healing Balm of JESUS' bleeding redeeming Love. No Balm was ever as potent and soothing as this one. I was so full of sin, but God put my sins away forever without any violation to His Divine Justice when I placed my Faith in His dear Son's Precious Blood. I like a sheep had went astray, but in Grace, JESUS came to seek and save me. Outside the gate of Jerusalem, on a hill called Golgotha, JEHOVAH laid on JESUS all the crimes I will ever commit against my Maker. I am a poor guilty Sinner, I trust Christ alone, and my sins are no longer mine, for they were laid on the soul of Christ when He was suffering and dying on the Cross. JEHOVAH forsook JESUS on the Cross when He was bearing my sins. JESUS was punished for my sins in my place. The lighting bolts of God's wrath struck JESUS over and over again, and now I am safe and sound forever, for JESUS' sake.
Now no more God's wrath I dread, because Vengeance smote the Surety's sacred head. My legal claims before God have been fully met, because JESUS' Blood paid my dreadful debt. The Sacrifice for my sins was nailed and fastened to the Cross, He suffered untold agonies, He was consumed instead of me. And now I shall not die eternally, because the innocent Victim has been consumed in my place. The fire of God's anger will not burn me, for it spent itself upon the Sacrifice. The Sacrifice died, was buried, and on the third day rose from the dead according to the Scriptures. Then He ascended into Heaven and sat down on the right hand of God. The fire can never fall on me. It can never be that JEHOVAH made Him suffer, the Just for the unjust, and make me suffer too. Look now to the Cross by Faith, God accepts Christ, Receive Him now and be filled with contentment. It is Finished! was JESUS' cry before He died for you; He finished Salvation and the Atonement for you all by Himself. Come to Jesus now, the door to the Ark of Mercy could close any day. Hurry up the brow now, don't miss ship's movement.
You see, The Holy Spirit came and helped me to the Cross, He guided my feet into the Way of Peace. (John 14:6) He helped me understand and feel my sinful condition, He helped me repent and pray, He showed me the dear Son of God: God and man in one person, loving me to death on the Cross. Jesus was wounded and covered in blood for me. Then the Holy Spirit whispered to me: He is your Substitute; He bore the wrath of God, so you don't have to. Trust in His Precious Blood and be forgiven freely today. I did just that, and the Great Exchange between JESUS and me occurred instantly. Jesus took my sins, I took His Righteousness. He took my guilt; I took His Ransom. He took my darkness; I took His Light. Glory be to the Lamb of God!
