"For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be
made the righteousness of God in Him." -II Corinthians 5:21 [KJV]
Our
blessed Lord offered Himself for sin; that is, that He might put away
sin by the sacrifice of Himself—"Who His own self bare our sins in His
own body on the tree" (I Peter 2:24). It was absolutely necessary either
that the sinner should suffer in his own person, or in that of a
substitute. Jesus became this Substitute; He stood virtually in the
sinner's place, and endured in His holy body and soul the punishment due
to Him; for He "was numbered with the transgressors."He thus, by the
shedding of His most precious blood, opened in His sacred body a
fountain for all sin and all uncleanness (Zechariah 13:1).
The cross was the
place on which this sacrifice was offered; for as the blood of the
slain lamb was poured out at the foot of the altar, sprinkled upon its
horns, and burned in its ever-enduring fire, so our blessed Lord shed His blood upon the cross. He there endured the wrath of God to the
uttermost; He there put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself; He there
offered His holy soul and body, the whole of His pure and sacred
humanity, in union with His eternal Deity, as an expiation for the sins
of His people.
Thus all their sin was atoned for, expiated, put away,
blotted out, and will never more be imputed to them. This is the grand
mystery of redeeming love and atoning blood. Here the cross shines forth
in all its splendour; here God and man meet at the sacrifice of the
God-man; and here, amidst the sufferings and sorrows, the groans and
tears, the blood and obedience of God's dear Son in our nature, grace
reigns through righteousness unto eternal life.
-preacher J.C. Philpot (1802-1869 A.D.)
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