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

…but God shows his love for us
in that while we were still sinners,
Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8

In this is love,
not that we have loved God
but that he loved us
and sent his Son
to be the propitiation
for our sins.
1 John 4:10

The love of God.

J E S U S.
He came.
He suffered.
He was buried.
He rose again that
we might have life in Him.

This is His love for you.

Would you take a moment
to honor Him
and consider His love
and His sacrifice?

Seek the Lord for His grace
to more fully comprehend
the love of God for you.

“The love of God is greater far
than tongue or pen
can ever tell.
It goes beyond the highest star,
and reaches to the lowest hell…”
~Fredrick Lehman

Psalm 18
is a powerful picture
of God rescuing His people.
The psalmist understands
who His God is
and what He has done for him.

Psalm 18
I love you,
O Lord, my strength.
 The Lord is my rock
and my fortress
and my deliverer,
my God, my rock,
in whom I take refuge,
my shield, and the horn
of my salvation,
my stronghold.
 I call upon the Lord,
who is worthy to be praised,
and I am saved
from my enemies.
 The cords of death
encompassed me;
the torrents of
destruction assailed me;
the cords of Sheol
entangled me;
the snares of death
confronted me.

In my distress
I called upon the Lord;
to my God I cried for help.
From his temple
he heard my voice,
and my cry to him
reached his ears.
Then the earth
reeled and rocked;
the foundations also of
 the mountains trembled
and quaked,
because he was angry.

Smoke went up
from his nostrils,
and devouring fire
from his mouth;
glowing coals flamed
forth from him.
He bowed the heavens
and came down;
thick darkness
was under his feet.
He rode on a cherub
and flew;
he came swiftly
on the wings of the wind.
He made darkness
his covering,
his canopy around him,
thick clouds dark with water.
Out of the brightness
before him hailstones
and coals of fire
broke through his clouds.

The Lord also thundered
in the heavens,
and the Most High
uttered his voice,
hailstones and coals of fire.
And he sent out his arrows
and scattered them;
he flashed forth lightnings
and routed them.
Then the channels
of the sea were seen,
and the foundations
of the world were laid bare
at your rebuke,
O Lord, at the blast
of the breath of your nostrils.
He sent from on high,
he took me;
he drew me out
of many waters.
 He rescued me
from my strong enemy
and from those who hated me,
for they were
too mighty for me.
They confronted me
in the day of my calamity,
but the Lord was my support.
He brought me out
into a broad place;
he rescued me,
because
he delighted in me.

God’s rescue of His people
reached its zenith
in the cross of Jesus Christ.

God gave up His Son for
wayward, wretched,
and wanton children like us.
He rescued,
redeemed,
reconciled,
and pardoned
our unworthy souls.

And yet we find ourselves
still trying to live on our own
and in our own strength,
going our own ways, and
according to our own will.

O Lord,
please help us
attentively watch
over our thoughts which
lead to attitudes,
words, and deeds.
We want to walk
in your way,
in your Spirit,
by your grace.

Help us O Lord,
to align our hearts
and minds and
thoughts according
to what we believe…
according to the gospel.

In His hands for His glory,
Laurie

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

This is closely
related to what Paul says
in his letter to the Galatians
when he says that Christ
became a curse for us.

It helps to hear this explanation
and see our sin and
what Christ did for us
from a different perspective:

…the law is not of faith, rather
“The one who does them
shall live by them.”
Christ redeemed us from
the curse of the law by
becoming a curse for us –
for it is written,
“Cursed is everyone who
is hanged on a tree”
– so that in Christ Jesus
the blessing of Abraham
might come to the Gentiles,
so that we might
receive the promised Spirit-
through faith.
Galatians 3:12-14

 The righteous shall live by faith.
Galatians 3:11

Christ became sin for us.
He became a curse
FOR US!

Christ
who knew no sin
was made Sin.
Not a sinner, but Sin.

“He became a Sin-offering,
a Sacrifice for sin
in order that we might be
made the righteousness of God.”
Adapted from Matthew Henry

We were saved from the wrath
of God by the grace and mercy
of God through Jesus.

Our loving Father
offered up His Son,
to stand in our place
and be the sacrifice
for our sin.

Only One
could take our place.

Only His sacrifice
could pay for our sins.

Only in Him
do we have forgiveness.

What should our response be
to such love?

Is there any pain,
loss,
price,
shame,
work,
embarrassment,
forfeiture,
lowliness,
inconvenience,
sacrifice,
interruption,
errand,
effort,
task,
distance,
that would be too great
in your service to Him?

Take a few moments
to think through what
you have to do today.
Is there anything you are dreading?
Is there any resentment towards
anyone or anything?
What are your
“complaints” about your lot?

Think through these things,
confess them to the Lord,
and ask Him for a heart
to serve Him in what, to whom,
and where He
has asked you to serve.
There is no task too great,
there is no task too small.

May He receive all the glory,
honor, and praise.
May He be pleased with
your response.

A broken and contrite
heart He will not despise.

In His hands for His glory,
Laurie

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