Good day
In the previous message we looked at the story of Garcia and how in the same manner God demonstrated love and mercy, all the while carrying out justice, by sending His Son Jesus Christ to the Earth to pay the penalty/price for our sins so that we can be forgiven.
Today I'd like to add to that message by looking at another illustration:
Isaiah 53:6
"We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on Him (Jesus) the iniquity (sins) of us all."
To explain the above verse, let’s imagine my left hand represents me and I had a book tied to my hand which represents every sin that I've committed; and let's imagine that my right hand represents God.
God loves me (pointing to my left hand under the book), but He hates my sin (pointing to the book). He doesn’t want to punish me but He must punish my sin. This book (my sin) prevents my right hand (God) from embracing my left hand (me)
What I need to do is find a way to get rid of the book!
So when we look at this verse it says we have all gone astray, each of us turning to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the sins of us all. The "Him" in this verse is referring to Jesus Christ. In the person of Jesus Christ, God did what I couldn’t do. I couldn't get rid of the sin in my life no matter how hard I tried and there was no way for me to rid myself of the consequences of that sin and the punishment that awaited me - But in the person of Jesus Christ, God did what I couldn't do! ... The verse says that God laid my sin on Him. This means the book that was once tied to my hand, holding me captive, and preventing me from being reconciled to God - has now been transferred over and placed on Jesus Christ! This now means that there's nothing preventing my left hand (me) from embracing my right hand (God), indicating that because the book (my sin) has been removed, I now have free access to God because of what Jesus Christ has done for me.
After dying on the cross He was buried and then rose from the dead, indicating that we have been justified and forgiven of our sins, and now offers us eternal life so that we can be with Him in Heaven one day where He has gone to prepare a place for us (John 14:2-6)
John 5:24
Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.
John 3:36
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.
John 3:16-18
For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
Romans 5:6-11
While we were still helpless [powerless to provide for our salvation], at the right time Christ died [as a substitute] for the ungodly. Now it is an extraordinary thing for one to willingly give his life even for an upright man, though perhaps for a good man [one who is noble and selfless and worthy] someone might even dare to die. But God clearly shows and proves His own love for us, by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Therefore, since we have now been justified [declared free of the guilt of sin] by His blood, [how much more certain is it that] we will be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, it is much more certain, having been reconciled, that we will be saved [from the consequences of sin] by His life [that is, we will be saved because Christ lives today]. Not only that, but we also rejoice in God [rejoicing in His love and perfection] through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received and enjoy our reconciliation [with God].
John 14:6
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
John 1:12
But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.
Acts 4:12
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.
Amen
(... and this free gift of eternal life is received by faith! ... which we'll look at in Part 18)