II Corinthians 5:24 "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."
What a grand declaration in the heart of a helpless sinner! That the Father
has charged my guilt to his Son and has given me the righteousness of God in
Christ. This is substitution-the innocent made to be the sin of the guilty and
the guilty made to be the righteousness of the innocent. This is reconciliation-those
once enemies of God made to be his dear children in their representative Christ
Jesus. In order for this transaction to take place some important things had
to happen. The substitute had to be flesh and blood like us. He had to be tempted
in every way like us. As a man the representative had to be completely free
of any guilt in thought or in deed-as righteous as God is. Christ met these
requirements.
So then when Christ fulfilled all that the prophets had written of him, when
he finished the work that God gave him to do upon this earth, he went to the
cross. God took all the sin of all the elect from every generation and laid
it upon Christ. God's vindicated his wrath upon every one of his people in the
substitute. And not only did Christ justify them of their sins but he also freely
gave them the righteousness of God, which he earned as a man on their behalf.
None of them will be found guilty for God accepts them in his beloved Son. Not
one of them will be lost for the precious blood of God's only begotten Son has
bought them. Every one will cease from his corrupt works and rest completely
on Christ Jesus who is seated at the right hand of the Father. And every one
rejoices, ever thankful, amazed that Christ was made to be sin that we might
be made the righteousness of God in him. There is no greater blessing!
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