Psalms 103Sample

Somebody Has to Pay for It

When we hear or read, “God loves you and He will forgive you,” we should beware not to think by any means that God is like a grandpa who says, “I forgive you and I will repair whatever you broke,” because He isn’t indulgent to us. The Lord forgives us because Jesus Christ paid the price for our sins on the cross.

When David said the Lord redeems your life from the pit, do you know what the word “redeems” means? It means to liberate a slave, to set him free. How? Through the payment of a price. Jesus paid that price.

The Apostle Paul said that Christ never sinned, but God treated Him as a sinner. God the ultimate righteous judge doesn’t treat us as our sins deserve because God treated Jesus as a sinner, so that He could make us acceptable unto Him. In other words, Jesus was treated as I deserved to be treated for my sins, so that God can treat me as He would treat Jesus Christ. That is why we are accepted into God’s presence.

How can I be made right with God? In Romans, the Apostle Paul says that, “We are made right.” It doesn’t say that we make ourselves right, it says, “We are made right.” I cannot make myself right. We often say, “You need to get right with God.” But there’s nothing you need to do except repent and change the way you think about sin and trust in Jesus Christ. We are made right with God by placing our faith in the risen Lord Jesus. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who they are. 

God in His grace freely makes us right in His sight. How did He do this? He did this through Christ Jesus, when He freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sins. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed His life and shed His blood on their behalf. This sacrifice shows us that God was being fair when He held back and didn’t punish those who sinned in past times because He was looking ahead and including them in what He would do in this present time through Jesus Christ.

Today is the day of salvation. If you have never “gotten right” with God, this is the best day you can do it. Talk to Him and tell Him you are sorry for your sins and that you believe Jesus bore them on the cross so that you may be saved.