THE GLORY OF THE CROSS: ATONEMENT AND FORGIVENESS

  By A. W. Tozier

  Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows:
 yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God,  and
 afflicted.                                         -  -  Isaiah 53:4

      Never make any mistake about this --- the suffering of
 Jesus Christ on the cross was not punitive!  It was not for
 Himself and not for punishment, of anything that He
 Himself had done.

       The suffering of Jesus was corrective.  He was willing
 to suffer in order that He might correct us and perfect
 us.

       Brethren, that is the glory of the cross!  That is the
glory of the kind of sacrifice that was for so long in the
heart of God!  That is the glory of the kind of atonement
that allows a repentant sinner to come into peaceful and
gracious fellowship with his God and Creator!

       It began in His wounds and ended in our purification!
It began in His bruises and ended in our cleansing!  That
painful and acute conviction that accompanies repentance
may well subside and a sense of peace and cleansing
come, but even the holiest of justified men will think back
over his part in the wounding and chastisement of the
Lamb of God.

      A sense of shock will still come over him!

      A sense of wonder will remain --- wonder that the
Lamb that was wounded should turn his wounds into
the cleansing and forgiveness of one who wounded Him!
                -------------------------------------

Yours in Christ,
Paul N. F.