His Cursing, Our Cleansing

I am sure you are familiar with the popular song Amazing Grace written by John Newton, an English poet and Christian in the 18th-19th century who was a former slave trader. The first stanza of the song reads, "Amazing Grace! how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch; like me!" You and I are the "wretch" in that song, worthy to only be condemned and tossed into the fiery pits of hell because of our sinfulness in the presence of the one true holy God; Newton was very keen on this notion because of his past as a slave trader. The Lord would be just to send any one of us to damnation; it is as if every one of us are walking on doors which are ready to swing open, dumping us into the pit where the worm doesn't die. If you are reading this, then obviously God hasn't done that to you. But why? It is because of His mercy that keeps the hinges on those doors from swinging open. Mercy is about not getting what we do deserve. But then there is also grace...

When Jesus was hung on the cross, God poured His wrath out on His own Son and treated Him as if He lived our sinful lives (mercy), so God could treat us as if we lived His Son's sinless life (grace). The Great Exchange: did we deserve it? No, but that is God's grace, my friend. You see, in contrast to mercy, grace is about getting what we don't deserve, namely the most wonderful gift of salvation and a blessed life with Christ Jesus. Upon the precious Lamb of God, the sins of all who would repent and believe in Him are washed away; His cursing, our cleansing! Only in Christ are your sins forgiven, only in Christ can you truly be blessed.

"Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit." - Psalm 32:1-2

What a wonderful Savior we have in Jesus!

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