“You stand before God as if you were Christ because Christ stood before God as if He were You.”

Charles Spurgeon

Jesus Paid It All

That is why He died. To stand in for us, to accept the full measure of God’s wrath on our sins. To pay our fines, our debt, the price for our acceptance. The price for our gift of approval from God. That is how much God loved us and loves us. His holiness couldn’t overlook our sin, but His love found a way.

Although His death was foreordained before the world was made, it did not make it any easier for Jesus when the time came. Even in the last hours of His earthly life, He asked His Father if there was any other way. Not only the physical crucifixion, but the becoming sin must have been abhorrent to Him. He had been forever pure. Now He would accept all sin of all people from all times and pay the price for such evil, such arrogance, and such rebellion.

Jesus Took It For Us

He took our guilt, became cursed for us, and received our punishment. God’s wrath was against our sin and rebellion. He saw us in Christ. God was punishing us, but it was Jesus who felt it. He took it for us. As the disfigured and injured body of Jesus hung on the cross, Jesus received fully God’s wrath against our sins and finally died alone, for the Father had turned His back on Jesus.

Remember He cried out, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?” At that point, Jesus became sin (2 Corinthians 5:21) for us that we might become righteous. God had to turn His back on His most precious Son because He carried the filth of our sins. Bloody and battered, Jesus suffered the wrath of God for us.

Christ entered the Most Holy Place after His death to offer His blood to God the Father to appease His wrath against sin. He offered His blood to pay our debt. Can you see Him doing that? Think on it for a while. Jesus presented His blood to the Father so we wouldn’t have to.

Now we can stand before God at any time clothed with the righteousness of His Son. Isn’t it amazing!

Remember – Charles Spurgeon said, “You stand before God as if you were Christ because Christ stood before God as if He were You.”

Words to light your path this week

• Hebrews 9:27-28 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. NKJV
• John 3:36 He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him. NKJV
• 1 Peter :18-19 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. NKJV
• 2 Corinthians 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us,that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. NKJV
• John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. NKJV

Remember to take one reference each day and let feed your spirit.

Loving Father, may we always remember what our salvation cost. Help us to remember, too, that we are clothed with the righteousness of Your Precious Son when we stand before You.

The Curse Motif of the Atonement R.C. Sproul, youtube video