“For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.” Romans 5:19.
Verse chosen from today’s Bible reading: 1 Kings 9, 2 Chronicles 8, Psalm 136, and Romans 5.
Adam brought sin into the world BUT that is not the end of the story. Jesus took care of sin.
If you are wondering how this works, please read the following story about Donald Barnhouse:
“When Barnhouse was about 15 he heard a man who had been a narcotics addict tell how he had been delivered from it and that his life had been changed.
Barnhouse approached the man afterwards and asked him about what had happened.
The man took Barnhouse’s left hand, turned it palm upward and then said intently, “This hand represents you.” On it he placed a large book, saying, “This book represents your sin. The weight of it is on you. God hates sin, and his anger must bear down against sin. Therefore, his anger is bearing down on you, and you have no peace in your heart or life.”
Then the man took Barnhouse’s other hand and said, “This hand represents the Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior. There is no sin upon him, and the Father must love him, because he is without spot or blemish. He is the beloved Son in whom the Father is well pleased.”
There were Barnhouse’s two hands, the one weighted down by the heavy book, the other empty.
Then the man put his hand under Barnhouse’s left hand and turned it over so that the book now came down on the hand that previously had been empty. He released the left hand, its burden now transferred to the hand that stood for Jesus. Then he said, “This is what happened when the Lord Jesus Christ took your place on the cross. He was the Lamb of God, bearing away the sin of the world.”
Then the man read from Isaiah 53: “Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him striken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities,’ the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way’ and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
Then the man said, “Whose sins were laid on Jesus”?
“Our sins,” Barnhouse replied.
“Whose sins does that mean?” the man asked.
“Our sins,” came the same answer.
“Yes, but whose sins are those?”
“Well, everybody’s sins – your sins, my sins…..”
The man interrupted and caught the words almost before they were out of Barnhouse’s mouth. “My sins; yes, that’s it,” he said. “That’s what I want. Say it again.”
Young Barnhouse obeyed, “My sins,” he repeated.
Then the man went back to Isaiah 53:6. He put the book back onto Barnhouse’s left hand and pressed down upon it as he read, “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way.” The pressure on Barnhouse’s left hand was strong. But then the man turned the book and the hand over once again, so that the burden was transferred to the hand that represented Jesus Christ, and then he continued reading the verse: “and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
I paraphrased the story a bit, but what a powerful way to illustrate what God has done for us. It’s a done deal. It’s the Good News. The Messiah has come. Our sin problem has been taken care of it. We have new life because of it. Believe the Good News and live accordingly!
“Lord, I thank You for loving us enough to send Jesus to take care of our sin problem. I pray that there may be those reading this entry who have now figured out what this Good News thing is all about. May they believe Your Good News and then live accordingly. I love You, Lord.”
Did you just receive the Good News? Hallelujah!
+9 progress
His Word For Me 