God exercises His mercy by upholding His
justice.
-Michael Ramsden
Today, I want to address a verse
that I think is vastly misunderstood. Isaiah 53:5 says, “But he was wounded for
our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our
peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” If you are a
born-again believer, you no doubt love that verse. But do you know what it
means? Isaiah 53:5 is not a verse about grace; it is a verse about justice.
It astounds me how many people—even
in the church—do not understand what the cross truly means. Jesus did not die
on the cross just to prove His love for you. However, that is what many people
think, and it is sad. Isaiah 53:5 is all about Jesus taking your place. Let’s
just say He became you. The modern church teaches that Jesus died because He
loves you; and because of that, you can go free. No. God is a holy, just, and
righteous God, and He will not, cannot allow the guilty to go free.
Yes, the cross was an act of love,
but the cross was also an act of justice. At that moment, Jesus became you, and
God poured out His wrath upon your sin. Second Corinthians 5:21 says, “For He
made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the
righteousness of God in Him.” We say Jesus died “for” us, but that word “for”
could have many different meanings. Perhaps a better way to say it is this:
Jesus died in our place. Justice was
paid for your sin on the cross.
Adrian Rogers used to tell a story
about the about the first time Robert G. Lee visited Calvary. The guide asked if
anyone in the group had been there before. Dr. Lee raised his hand. The guide
asked him, “When were you here before”? Dr. Lee replied, “Two thousand years
ago.” He understood the true meaning of Isaiah 53:5. My friend, don’t rest in
mercy; rest in justice. You no longer have to pray for mercy, because your sin
has already been paid for. When you slip up, just say, “Father, I was wrong.
But by the blood of Jesus, my sin has been forgiven. Thank you, God!”
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