r would take their guilt, another would make atonement.Romans 6:23 clearly states, “The wages of sin is death.” In the Old Testament when the guiltysinner confessed his sin, the guilt was symbolically transferred to the innocent lamb. The lamb borethe sinner’s guilt. The sinner could live. The lamb must die. That lamb pointed forward to Jesus, “TheLamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29. But the blood of animals could saveno one from sin—Hebrews 10:4—it only pointed forward to the divine One who would save. He-brews10:10-14.Unresolved guilt can destroy our emotional health. But living in denial and offering flimsy excusesare do-it-yourself attempts to deal with guilt. Real forgiveness can come from only one source—it mustbe God who forgives. When we fail morally, pardon must come from the Lawgiver. So Christ poured outHis life on the cross as the spotless Lamb of God. He took our guilt and gave us His righteousness, Hisright standing with the Father. The apostle Paul makes this plain in 2 Corinthians 5:21: “For He madeHim who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” Christnever sinned. He lived a spotless, perfect life. But He became sin by assuming the guilt of sin for us.Look at Romans 6:23 again. It states that “the GIFT of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus.”Ephesians 2:8-9 emphasizes this point: “By grace you have been saved through faith, and that not ofyourselves; it is the GIFT of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”Friends, the good news is what it has always been. Forgiveness—eternal life—is a gift. That’s themost wonderful piece of news ever announced on this planet. Without grace, we’re compelled tokeep going down this one-way street all the way to the dead end. Please let this gift of Jesus Christbegin reshaping your life. Have you found peace a...
