Meditate On
He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and
not only our sins but the sins of all the world.
1 John 2:2, NLT
The
Price Has Been Paid!
When guilt and condemnation weigh heavily on their
conscience, many feel the need to pay for their sins. To appease the sense that
they have failed, they punish themselves by mentally berating themselves
repeatedly for their failings, and some even go so far as to cause injury or
harm to their own bodies. And when things don’t work out in their studies, work
or relationships, they tell themselves that they deserve the negative outcome.
They don’t feel that they deserve to succeed in what they do.
My friend, the answer to our consciousness of guilt,
failure or inadequacy is the cross. The cross declares, “Jesus, the sinless,
spotless, beloved Son of God, died in your place. There is your punishment! He
was pierced. He was cut. He was wounded for your transgressions. He was crushed
so that you don’t have to be crushed. He died young so that you don’t have to
die young!”
Our conscience is satisfied when we look at the cross and
see Jesus Christ hanging there, suspended between heaven and earth. He who knew
no sin became our sin, and He bore the fullness of God’s holy and righteous
indignation in His very own person on our behalf.
When we look to the cross and realize, “There is my
punishment. There is my death,” our conscience says, “Peace. It’s paid.” We
don’t have to wound ourselves. We don’t have to beat ourselves. Jesus suffered
it all for us so that we can have His every blessing and reign in life. He
alone is the sacrifice that atones for all our sins. Hallelujah!
BLESSINGS
JOSEPH PRINCE
