What if you were on trial for the wrongdoing of another person? You didn't commit the crime. You were not even close to the crime, and you certainly didn't have anything to do with any part of the crime. Yet, you were on trial for the crimedoer. Could you pay their penalty? Would you pay their penalty? Now, what if it were the crimes, the sins, of the whole world? Would you, could you pay for them? Here is some good news. Someone already has.
John the apostle wrote in First John chapter two verse two:
And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for [the sins of] the whole world.
As a reminder the word “propitiation” means “appeasing” or “satisfying the penalty of”. In other words, Jesus Christ paid the penalty for “the sins of the whole world.” Every crime, every violation whether big or small, Jesus paid the price for when He died on the cross. There is a penalty for sin as stated by Paul the apostle in the book of Romans chapter six verse twenty-three:
For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord
God Himself pronounced the penalty for wrongdoing in the very beginning of mankind while they were in the garden of Eden. The first book of the Bible, Genesis, in chapter two verses sixteen and seventeen:
And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shalt not eat of it: for in the day that you eat thereof you shalt surely die.
The first man and woman, Adam and Eve, did eat of the fruit of that tree, and people have been dying every since. Jesus paid the penalty, death, for the sins of every person in the world. John the apostle wants everyone everywhere to know that the penalty for their sins has been paid. Now all that is necessary is to accept and apply the forgiveness that the Heavenly Father, the Righteous Judge, is willing to give to all who believe in His Son's appeasing sacrifice.
What criminal, what wrongdoer, what violator would not want someone else to pay their penalty if there was a person who would? Remember, Jesus already has, and now, the belief part is up to you. The question becomes, “How will I know if I have believed and accepted God's invitation to believe in His Son's payment?” We shall discuss that in tomorrow's blog. Read ahead if you'd like, and we shall share again then.
Until tomorrow...there is more...
Look for the new devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation” in all major bookstore sites, www.amazon.com ; www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, find locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore
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