“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, being made a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone having been hanged on a tree”);” Galatians 3:13
The appeal continues in this hymn. The strength of our testimony comes from this anchoring truth- “For my life, he bled and died; Justice has been satisfied; he will hold me fast.” All over the Scriptures, we see the efforts of man in trying to reach out to God and making things right. The lamb for the Jews, human and other animal sacrifices for the Gentiles nations were all efforts to try and make deity approve of humanity. There has always been emptiness and space between us and heaven that pushes us continuously to try hard and become good so that God or ‘god’ can be satisfied with our works. Today, we still find ourselves trying to make God glad by the things we do, hoping that our sacrifices would satisfy his justice. But the LORD, God of all heaven and earth, is holy and perfect beyond all our righteous outputs. Our goodness could not fill his cup! However, Jesus died for our lives and shed his blood for our justification.
For my life, he bled and died.
“For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.” – Hebrews 9:13-14
What is the significance of the blood of Jesus? It is not for covering roads and houses as many Kenyans would pray fervently saying, “We cover the roads with the blood of Jesus.” Primarily, the blood of the lamb of God- Jesus Christ, is for our lives’ cleansing and purification of our conscience from dead works. Jesus bled for us because he was the perfect sacrifice whose blood had a perfect effect before the throne of God. He did not die for goats nor even angels. Jesus died for you and me. He thought about us and came down from heaven to die a death we could not die so that he could secure a life we could never afford! Such amazing kindness! So, now, the mercy seat is not sprinkled with goat’s or sheep’s blood that loses power year after year. No. it is covered eternally with the powerful blood of Jesus Christ. His blood makes pleas for us daily in the presence of God. Thank God for the blood, shed by His Son for our cleansing and purification. No sin needs to weigh you down. We do not need to work too hard for God’s attention. Jesus has done all that we could never do. He finished all our work. By His blood, our sin is forgiven, and our future sealed.
Justice has been satisfied.
“For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” Romans 8:3-4
One struggle for many of us today is to receive the work that Christ did for us without questions. We tend to want to feel as if we had a part in this transforming work. But the law was not able to change it. We could not change it. But God did the impossible through the Son of his love, Jesus Christ. What is the greatest joy for the believer? It is to know that all they have is not from all they did but from all God did! That is what it means for justice to be satisfied. Believer, you do not have to do anything at all to satisfy the wrath of God. Christ has become all things for us, including our justification. God no longer seeks for some payment from us. He is not seating in heaven, fuming up with wrath because of our sin, waiting to pour it all out on us. He looks at the Son of His love and the sacrifice that he gave that paid it all for us and says to us, “Trust in Him, and it shall be well with you.” Praise God for Jesus Christ! A gift too beautiful for words.