Penal substitution does not turn God into a cosmic child abuser. It does not reduce Christ to the passive victim of some divine injustice. It does not pit the Trinity against itself. No, in the God-forsakenness of Christ on the cross, the love of God and the justice of God are revealed on our behalf. United in purpose, Father and Son act in concert to save God’s people. The sinless Son of God bears our sin, and then God pours out the wrath that our sin deserves, and Jesus the Son endures it so that we, who deserve that wrath, might never encounter it. This is the gospel, the good news of the cross, and it calls us to forsake our sin, to turn away from it and embrace Christ, the forsaken one, so that we may not be forsaken.
Michael Lawrence

Squeamish About Blood

Squeamish About Blood

SQUEAMISH ABOUT BLOOD?

Most people are squeamish about blood. They don’t want to see it, think about it, or talk about it. In this century, newer editions of hymnbooks of the large denominations have progressively eliminated references to the “blood of Christ”.

The apostle Paul wrote, “In Him (Jesus Christ) we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace…” (Ephesians 1:7 NKJ)

If instead of dying on the cross, Jesus Christ had donated a pint every two months during His adult life, He would have given much more blood, but it wouldn’t have done us any good.

The phrase “through His blood” in the New Testament contains the concept of sacrificial death for sin.

John the Baptizer called Jesus “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” Every person who heard those words understood the story of the Passover Lamb, whose blood was put on the lintel and doorposts of the dwellings of the Israelites in Egypt. They remembered how the destroying angel had killed every firstborn child in Egypt who was not in a home protected by the blood of the lamb.

The Lord Jesus not only died on the cross as a blood-sacrifice for sin, but rose again from the dead and lives today to be your King and Friend, and give you the Holy Spirit to lead and teach and empower you, IF YOU WILL ONLY PUT YOUR TRUST IN HIM, and receive the life which He purchased for you with His own blood.

We encourage you to read the New Testament seriously for yourself, especially John or Luke.

But entrust yourself to Jesus right now. Don’t wait.