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In
Our Place
Dwight
L. Moody told of the young man who did not want to
serve in Napoleon Bonaparte's army.
When he was drafted, a friend volunteered to go
in his place.
The substitution was made, and some time later
the surrogate was killed in battle.
The
same young man was, through a clerical error, drafted
again. “You can't take me," he told the
startled officers.
"I'm dead. I died on the battlefield."
They
argued that they could see him standing right in front
of them, but he insisted they look on the roll to find
the record of his death.
Sure enough, there on the roll was the man's
name, with another name written beside it – the name
of the friend who had died in his place.
The
case finally went to the emperor himself.
After examining the evidence, Napoleon said,
"Through a surrogate, this man has not only
fought, but has died in his country's service.
No man can die more than once, therefore the
law has no claim on him."
Two
thousand years ago, Jesus went to a cross to bear the
penalty that rightly belonged to us.
He died in OUR place.
“For
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we
might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2
Corinthians 5:21).
He “bore our sins in His own body on the
tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for
righteousness; by whose stripes you were healed” (1
Peter 2:24).
And
through Jesus, OUR names are written in the book –
the Lamb’s Book of Life with HIS name written
beside ours, as the One who died in our place!
(Revelation 21:27; Philippians 4:3)
To
receive the benefits of His atoning death, we must: believe
in Him (Acts 16:30-31), turn from sin in repentance
(Acts 17:30-31), confess
Him before men (Romans 10:9-10), and be baptized
(immersed) in His name for the forgiveness of our sins
(Acts 2:38). Then,
as we continue to follow Him faithfully, He is
faithful to continue to forgive us of our sins (1 John
1:7,9).
He
died in YOUR place.
Won’t you accept His saving grace on His
terms?
David
A. Sargent,
Minister
Church
of Christ at Creekwood
1901
Schillinger Rd. S.
Mobile, Alabama 36695
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