Romans
3:24-26; Leviticus 16:14-16
The death of
Christ served to show that sin must be punished, even though it might not be
punished in the one who sinned. Christ died, suffering the punishment due the
sinner. Since sin must be punished, it means that whoever was going to rescue
the sinner would have to be punished in the sinner's stead. Hence Christ died,
the just for the unjust. This demonstrated the righteousness of God because
even when the sin of the world was placed on Jesus, He did not spare His own
Son, but poured out His wrath fully upon Him for sinners sake in order to
satisfy the requirement of divine justice for sin.
In Christ's
death, the justice of God was vindicated. Now sinners can be received back to
God through faith in what Christ did on their behalf. This explains why faith
in Christ alone is necessary for reconciliation with God. To ignore what Christ
did on the cross is to reject so great a salvation offered the sinner by a just
God.
To see
Christ hanging on the cross is to see the portrayal of the justice of God. God
showed His antagonism against sin by the cross. No one can accuse Him of
overlooking sin by the forgiveness of sinners who trust Christ. When God
forgives a sinner, it is not because He overlooked the principle of His justice
that demands penalty for sin, but because He already executed that penalty in
His Son on the sinner's behalf on the cross. This is unlike when a president
pardons an offender; in the president's pardon, the principle of justice is
overlooked, no payment for the crime committed is demanded.
The
Propitiatory death of Christ makes pardon available at His expense; but it is
faith in that sacrifice that receives the pardon. It, however, must be
said that faith does not produce the pardon, it makes possible for the pardon
produced by Christ's death to be received by the sinner.
Christ's
death showed that God is just because by it, He showed due regard to His Law,
by executing the penalty prescribed by the law for sin on Christ on the cross.
In His plan of salvation, the Law was fully satisfied. Had God forgiven the
sinner without the penalty prescribed by the law met, God would have shown
Himself unjust for justifying the unjust. But in Christ, the penalty prescribed
by the law for sin was executed, making it possible for the sinner to be
justified without making God appear unjust.
From the
death of Christ for our sins, we learn that sin must be punished; that sinners
can't be forgiven without the death of an innocent substitute; that apart from
Christ, the sinner bears the burden of his sin. This is why God will be just to
send a sinner to hell. The law is still potent in its condemnation of the
sinner who rejects the atoning sacrifice for sin offered by Christ.
Toni
