1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit.
God forgives sin, but how? There must be somebody who pays the penalty for sin. God cannot just overlook sin. If God were to overlook sin, God would no longer be holy any more than a judge would be a righteous judge if He were to overlook a crime. There’s a saying that goes, “When a guilty man is acquitted, the judge is condemned.” If a judge were to just say, “I’m a loving judge. I will overlook rape, murder, arson, robbery, whatever it is. That’s all right. I’m a loving judge.” At that moment the judge becomes a criminal.
If God were to simply overlook sin without punishing it, God would topple from His throne of holiness. If there’d been some other way for you to have been saved, God would have taken it. That’s the reason the Apostle Paul said, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation…” (Romans 1:16). Jesus died for you, and He wants you to live a life that glorifies Him and shares that hope with others.
How necessary is the cross? What level of urgency do you feel to share the message of the cross with others? Think of someone you know who needs the hope of Jesus and find a way to serve that person.
This devotional was written by Pastor/teacher Adrian Rogers. The Copyright owner is Love Worth Finding. Used with written permission. You may contact lwf.org and be blessed directly and freely by Biblical teaching.
