In the past couple of days I have been studying about Marie Antoinette, the
Queen of France during the French Revolution. I have studied why she was
sentenced to death by guillotine and her actions leading up to her sentencing.
After a 2 day trial (the verdict was predetermined from the start), Marie
Antoinette was sentenced to death for treason. And on 16 Oct 1793 at 12:15, she
was beheaded.
I’m sure the days and months leading up to her execution were the most
harrowing of her life. Her husband met the same fate 9 months earlier as did
many of her friends. She continually worried about what would become of her
children and her hair turned white-and she was only 37. This is what it is like
to be condemned to death. The sentenced has already been passed and the
prisoner is now waiting to meet their fate.
I think about Barabbas, a criminal who was condemned to death for sedition and
murder, who now waited his fate; death by crucifixion. Crucifixion meant an
excruciating death, dying in agony. This is what awaited him because of his
crimes. But by circumstance and grace, an innocent man named Jesus was chosen
to die in his place. Barabbas was released a free man. We don’t know what
happened to Barabbas after his release, but in a way, we are all
Barabbas. We received the sentence of death because our sins. Because we
are all from the line of Adam, we are all guilty. But Jesus died in our place.
He received the punishment that we deserved. He went to the cross and we were
made free.
How did this happen? We simply believed on Jesus. We made him our Lord and
believed that God raised him from the dead (see Romans 10:9). The sentence of
death that we would have received has been already paid for by him. We are no
longer condemned. Amazing!
“Whoever
believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe
stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God's
one and only Son.” (John 3:18)
If we believe on Jesus Christ, then we are not condemned. But if
we don’t believe on him, it says we are condemned already.
Why? Because he is the only escape. Without him we would all
pay the penalty for our own sins. In truth we have exchanged our sinfulness
with his righteousness. We now have been made the righteousness of God (II
Corinthians 5:21). What a deal!
This brings up a great word; Justified.
Justified is a legal term that means to be found not guilty in a court of law and
declared innocent of all charges.
“Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be
saved from wrath through Him.” (Romans 5:9)
Our slate has been wiped clean. It’s as if we had
never sinned. You can see why this is a great word. This is all made possible because
of Jesus Christ. Because of what he accomplished on the cross, my sins, past,
present and future, are forgiven. His sacrifice took care of it all.
Paul reminds us in Romans: “Therefore, there is now no
condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans
8:1) I used to think that this verse was saying that we didn’t have to
condemn ourselves any longer. This is true, but there is a larger truth. The
Amplified Bible has a great translation of this verse;
“Therefore there is now no condemnation [no guilty
verdict, no punishment] for those who are in Christ Jesus [who believe in Him
as personal Lord and Savior].
At one time we were prisoners in this world. We
were without God, without Christ and without hope. We had no hope from being
rescued from our fate. Our fate was eternal
death. But because one man was willing to die in our place, we have been
acquitted. We have been found innocent. It’s time to step out of our prison
doors and take a deep breath of freedom. Because Jesus holds the keys.
Love
Always, Ray
“We have been set free because of what Christ has done. Through his blood our sins have been forgiven. We have been set free because God’s grace is so rich.” (Ephesians 1:7 NIRV)
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