First Baptist Church of Niles

“He Himself bore our sins in His own body on the cross” 1 Peter 2:24

It boils down to this. Either you and I must die or a perfect substitute must die in our place. This is why Christ came. God saw our hopeless condition, and loved us even when we were sinners. He sent His Son to rescue us. (Romans 5:8)

When Jesus came into this world, He was older than His mother and as old as His Father. His mother was the Virgin Mary, and His Father was God. He is the eternal God, and He became one with us in order to save us. He did many wonderful things that proved who He was, but there was one thing He never did. He never sinned. He lived a perfect life .The Father said of Him, ”This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” (Matt. 3:17)

He wasn't pleased with us but He was with Him. He did not owe the debt. He did not deserve to die.

So, on the cross He became our substitute. A transfer was made. We have sin in us and on us. He had neither. Our transgressions and iniquities were transferred to Him, that His righteousness might be transferred to us. Isaiah said of Him,” The Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:6) Before Jesus died, He said, “It is finished”. That's a commercial word that means, “It is paid.” The price was paid in full.

Suppose you owed a debt you could not pay. If a wealthy friend came and paid it for you, it could never be demanded of you again, could it? This is what Christ did for all who will receive His gift.

Let's say all of your sins are recorded in heaven. At the bottom of the list it is written, “The penalty is hell”. But Christ came and paid the price so it can be stamped across the account, “paid in full.”

Three days after He died, something else happened. What was that?

He arose from the dead. This proved that God had accepted His sacrifice for our sins. Then after forty days He ascended into heaven. Now the truth God wants us to know is, He is on one side and all of us are on the other and Christ has come between and bridged the gulf for us. He promises eternal life to all who will come to God by faith in Him. He is the bridge over which we must pass to get to the Father. He is the only way to heaven.