“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned
every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
(Isaiah 53:6)
The glory of the gospel shines most brightly in the work of Jesus Christ as the sinner’s Substitute. Every descendant of Adam has wandered from God like a sheep that has lost its shepherd. Instead of walking in His holy ways, each has chosen his own path. Left to themselves, sinners stand guilty before the justice of God, unable to remove even the smallest part of their debt.[1]
Yet in infinite mercy, the Father laid upon His beloved Son the full guilt of all His redeemed people. Christ willingly took their place, bearing the punishment they deserved. Their sins were imputed to Him, though He Himself was perfectly holy, and He satisfied every demand of divine justice through His obedience and death on the cross.
Because Christ has fully paid the debt of His people, there remains no condemnation for those who are in Him. God does not overlook sin. Rather, He has judged it completely in His Son. The believer’s acceptance therefore does not rest on his or her own worthiness but on the finished satisfaction accomplished by Christ. Every accusation against God’s elect has already been answered by the blood of the covenant.
God is worthy of everlasting praise for such wisdom, justice, and mercy. His justice was not compromised, for every sin received its due punishment. His mercy was magnified, for guilty sinners received full pardon through the death of another. At the cross, righteousness and peace meet together in perfect harmony, displaying the glory of His redeeming love.
As a result, those who come to Him in faith find peace, not because sin is insignificant, but because Christ’s atonement is sufficient. Every blessing of salvation flows from the perfect work of our Redeemer, who forever settled the believer’s account before the throne of divine justice.
Christ took what belonged to His people—their guilt and condemnation—and gave them what belonged to Him—His righteousness and peace with God. Such grace humbles the sinner, exalts the Savior, and fills us with praise for the God who devised so perfect a redemption.
Contemplations:
- Adoring God For His Perfect Justice. Every sin deserved judgment, and Your justice required complete satisfaction—a satisfaction that You provided in the person of Your beloved Son. As a result, Your justice remains flawless and Your mercy shines all the more brightly because salvation rests solely in the finished work of Christ.
- Adoring God For Christ My Substitute. You laid all my sin on the spotless Lamb of God. My guilt became His by imputation, though He never committed a single sin. He willingly endured the punishment I deserved, satisfying every demand of Your holy law. I adore You for such astonishing love, that the innocent suffered for the guilty so that the guilty might be accepted as righteous in Your sight.
- Adoring God For Complete Forgiveness. Christ fully discharged every debt that stood against me. Nothing remains to be paid, for my Redeemer satisfied divine justice completely. My acceptance before You is secure because it depends entirely on the sufficiency of Christ.
- Adoring God For Your Matchless Grace. Your holiness, justice, wisdom, mercy, and love are all displayed in the cross of Christ. You did not only remove my guilt; You also reconciled me to Yourself through Your Son. May my heart never cease to marvel at such grace, nor my lips grow weary of praising the God who has loved His people with an everlasting love.
Prayer (Adoration):
Most holy and gracious Father, I adore You for Your redeeming love. Though I wandered far from You like a lost sheep, You did not leave me to perish in my guilt. In Your infinite wisdom and mercy, You laid my iniquity on Your beloved Son, who willingly bore the punishment I deserved.
I praise You for the perfect satisfaction accomplished by Jesus Christ. Nothing remains unpaid, for He has fulfilled every demand of Your holy law. My peace with You rests entirely on His finished work and not on anything within me.
I praise You that the cross displays the glory of all Your divine perfections. Your justice is honored, Your mercy is magnified, Your holiness is upheld, and Your love shines with incomparable brightness. Truly there is no salvation like the salvation You provide through Christ alone.
Receive my heartfelt worship for so great a redemption. Keep my eyes fixed on the cross, my confidence resting in Christ alone, and my heart continually grateful for the Lamb who was slain in my place. May all my days be spent praising the God who has loved me and given His Son for me.
Through Jesus Christ my Lord, Amen.
Further Scripture References:
Isa. 56:11; 1 Peter 2:25; Psalm 119:176; Jer. 50:6
[1] Thomas Brooks, The Complete Works of Thomas Brooks, ed. Alexander Balloch Grosart, vol. 1 (Edinburgh; London; Dublin: James Nichol; James Nisbet and Co.; G. Herbert, 1866), 93-94.
