Thoughts Along The Journey

Charles Spurgeon once preached: “If ever there should come a wretched day when all our pulpits shall be full of modern thought, and the old doctrine of substitutionary sacrifice shall be exploded, then will there remain no word of comfort for the guilty or hope for the despairing.  Hushed will be for
ever those silver notes which now console the living, and cheer the dying; a dumb spirit will possess this sullen world, and no voice of joy will break the
blank silence of people.”

I like that phrase, ‘substitutionary sacrifice.’  In many ways, it attacks my pride which would want to say that I have something to bring to God, something to offer in exchange for my wrongdoings. I ultimately have nothing to offer, nothing but my heart cry for His mercy and grace.  I need a substitute.  I need someone to stand in my place.  I need Jesus.

“But he, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God.”  (Hebrews 10:12)

I have wondered, though lately if that is the message I am ultimately sharing with others.  Or am I offering them another ‘substitute’ such as program, a study guide, a structure for their life, or even me as a friend and spiritual mentor?  I should be pointing people back to Jesus, back to the cross as the only substitute that they need, as their only source of comfort and hope.

Jesus went alone to the cross … for me.  I need to figure out how to share that in new ways with those around me.

Filed under: Cross of Christ, Resurrection |