Joel M Bradshaw

We [Paul and crew] implore you [Corinthian church] on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21For our sake he made him [Jesus] to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we [followers of Jesus] might become the righteousness of God.—2 Corinthians 5

They are to lay their hand on the head of the sin offering and slaughter it at the place of the burnt offering…and the priest shall burn it on the altar as an aroma pleasing to the Lord. In this way the priest will make atonement for them, and they will be forgiven. (Leviticus 4:29, 31b)

1. How does a sinner become reconciled to the holy God?
2. Sin separates us from God and must be dealt with.
3. Read verse 21 again. Things are being transferred there.
4. On the cross, our sin was transferred by God to the sinless Christ. And his righteousness is transferred to us. This transfer was foreshadowed in the Leviticus moment above.
5. We are thus saved from the wrath due our sin. Jesus cashed the horrible “paycheck” each of us has earned.
6. The only one who never sinned got our sin. And we who don’t deserve it get Jesus’ righteousness. This is the heart of the Gospel. The best possible news.
7. It is the most cosmically unfair matter in history. But without Jesus our substitute, without this complete act of grace, we are never saved. For our sins would not be truly dealt with. How do you respond to this? I remain thankful and grateful.–JMB