SUBSTITUTION
The heart of the gospel is
redemption, and the essence of redemption is substitution. The deepest, most
profound, most mysterious, and most edifying subject in all the Word of God is
set forth in these words - "He hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no
sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him!" Substitution
is the foundation truth of Christianity. This is the rock upon which our hopes
are built. This is the only hope of the sinner, and the only true joy of all
saints.
Brethren, the most marvelous thing that ever took
place upon the earth, the most stupendous thing ever executed by the power of
heaven was this - Jesus Christ, God the eternal Son, was made sin for us, that
we might be made the righteousness of God in him!
These two things, Christ being made sin and us being
made righteousness, could only be accomplished by substitution. There was no
possible way for the Lord of glory to be made sin, except by imputation. And
there is no way by which any man can be made righteousness, except by
imputation. It is a legal matter. At
Of this we may be sure - For that
multitude of sinners for whom Jesus died THERE IS NO POSSIBILITY OF
CONDEMNATION! "There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are
in Christ Jesus...For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through
the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for
sin, condemned sin in the flesh."
Children
of God, we can never understand the depths of wisdom and grace revealed in the
substitutionary death of Christ. But we, who have seen him dying in our stead,
should never cease to worship, adore, love, and trust our merciful Redeemer.