Step
1: IMPUTATION
CHRIST TOOK OUR SINS UPON HIMSELF
The first step in the redemption of mankind was for
Jesus Christ to bear the sins of the world in His own
body. When Jesus hung on the cross, God took all the
sins of the world (past, present, and future), and placed
(imputed) them into Christ.
And the Lord has laid on Him [Jesus] the
iniquity [sin] of us all.
Isaiah
53:6
Who His own self bore our sins in His body on
the tree. I Peter
2:24
For He [God the
Father] made Him Who knew no
sin [Jesus] to be sin on our behalf, that we might become
the righteousness of God in Him. II Corinthians
5:21
Since God must punish sin, who would God now have to
punish?
Step 2: SUBSTITUTION
CHRIST DIED IN OUR
PLACE.
Since God must punish sin, He poured out His wrath
upon Jesus in our place. Jesus became our
"substitute." He was punished for our sins and died in
our place.
But He was wounded for our transgressions, He
was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement for
our peace was upon Him.
Isaiah
53:5
And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with
a loud voice, saying . . . "My God, My God, why have You
forsaken me?"
Matthew
27:46
Step 3: SATISFACTION (PROPITIATION) CHRIST'S DEATH
PAID IN FULL FOR OUR SINS, THEREBY SATISFYING GOD'S ANGER AND
JUSTICE.
Since Jesus died in our place for our sins, God's
justice was satisfied. Jesus paid for all man's sins, so
any man who chooses to accept that payment will never have to
experience the eternal wrath of God which must come upon all
sin. Jesus paid in full for all man's
sins!
Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has
put Him to grief. When Thou
[God the Father] shall make His
[Jesus'] soul an offering for sin . . . He shall see
the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied. Isaiah
53:10-11
When Jesus therefore received the vinegar, He
said, "It is finished, " and He bowed His head and
gave up His Spirit.
John
19:30 The
phrase "it is finished" was actually an expression used in
Rome in the time of Christ when a debt had been paid in
full. (Kittle, VIII pp. 57, 60) When Jesus
shouted this just before He died, He was indicating that He
had made a perfect, complete and final payment for sin.
(Also see Colossians 2:13-14).
Thus, Jesus Has Torn Down The Barrier Between God and
Man By Paying For Our Sins Through His Own
Death.
How can Jesus' death be so valuable that it can pay
not only for all of your sins, but for all the sins of all men
of all ages?
It is because ...
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