HE BECAME US ON THE CROSS
For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit (1 Peter 3:18),
Has it really dawned on you that Jesus Christ was crucified for us? He actually became us on the Cross. Not only did He bear our sins, He also bore our very nature of sin. That’s why the Bible says, “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” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Jesus was our sin-bearer and thus was made sin, meaning that we were literally on that Cross when Jesus was crucified. He wasn’t only our representative, He was our substitute; our sins were laid on His spirit. He took our nature and took our place.
There’s the legal aspect and there’s the vital aspect. He was legally your representative and vitally you on the Cross. What’s the implication of all these? If He took your place and nature, it means you now have His place and nature as well. He took your place so that you might take His place.
Therefore, since He was sinless, that means you have His sinless nature now that you’re born again. Now you can understand why the Bible says in 1 Peter 2:9, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation….” Did you notice that it says you’re holy?
It’s the result of the sacrifice and substitutionary work of Jesus Christ in your behalf. He took your sin-nature and made you holy. Now you can live a holy life. Hallelujah!
The most beautiful part isn’t that He took our place and our nature but His purpose for doing it. It was to give us His place and His nature.
Ephesians 2:4-6 is so beautiful; it says, “But God, who is rich in mercy…hath quickened us together with Christ…And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”
He gave us His place of glory, dominion, power, honour and majesty, and made us partakers of His divine nature. Today, you’re as righteous as Jesus is righteous. You have the same life with Him: “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life” (1 John 5:11-12). Blessed be God!
PRAYER
Dear Father, I thank you for the sacrifice and substitutionary work of Jesus Christ in my behalf, for which the righteousness of God has been imparted to my spirit. Now, I’ve been justified by faith and ushered into a life of peace with you through the Lord Jesus Christ, with dominion over sin and circumstances, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
FURTHER STUDY:
Romans 5:8, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Romans 6:3-5
1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Mark 11:1-26, Numbers 16-17
2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Acts 24:10-21
Psalm 57-58
