by Jerry Senn
“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
—2 Corinthians 5:21
John Bunyon, in the book, Grace Abounding, shared his thoughts about how he could be saved from his sins, given his weak and frail faith.
“As I was walking up and down in the house, as a man in a most woful state, that word of God took hold of my heart. Ye are justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:24). But oh, what a turn it made upon me! Now was I as one awakened out of some troublesome sleep and dream, and listening to this heavenly sentence, it was as if I had heard it thus expounded to me. ‘Sinner, thou thinkest that because of thy sins and infirmities I cannot save thy soul, but behold my Son is with me, and upon him I look, and not on thee, and will deal with thee according as I am pleased with him’” (FF Bruce, “Romans,” pp 98, 99).
In Philippians 3, Paul wrote, “I have suffered the loss of all things and count them but rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith” (vv 8, 9).
When we’re unsure how God could forgive us for our sins, we must remember Jesus paid the penalty for our sins already on the cross. God’s wrath has been abated. “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds we are healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls” (1 Peter 2:24, 25).
God is saying, “Behold my Son is with me, and upon him I look, and not on thee, and will deal with thee according as I am pleased with him.”