Saturday, December 17, 2011

127. He Became Guilty

2 Corinthians 5:21


Do you ever have one of those moments where some part of your mind forgets the Gospel for a second and so you wind up freaking out? Okay, wait... Time out - maybe I should explain that question a bit - Let’s back up and then zoom in: This morning, I was reading this obscure little book in the Old Testament called ‘Nahum.’ I had just started the book when something made me stop. It was chapter 1, verse 3 which says, “The Lord is slow to anger and great in power; the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished.” Whoa. I mean, the first thought in any honest head simply has to be, “Oh no! I’m guilty! I’ve been guilty my whole life! I’m that guy! God is not going to leave me unpunished! Crap!!” Sometimes, when we freak out about stuff, it’s because there are places in our minds and hearts that haven’t heard the Gospel yet, or else have forgotten it. If I feel like something bad is happening because God is punishing me for my sins, then I need to go back over the simple message again. You see, the truth is simple, but it has to go into deeper levels of our heart and mind as we live. When you find an un-evangelized place in your heart, just preach the Gospel to it again. So, if you ever feel guilty and afraid of the judgment of God, just remember, Jesus bore your guilt. He took your place and declared you henceforth ‘not guilty’ forever and ever, no matter what! He became guilty for you. God will not leave the guilty unpunished. He became the guilty and the punished so that you could become the righteous one.

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