When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. Colossians 2:13-15 (NIV)
The Father’s love was made manifest by giving Jesus as a ransom for our sins. The Father knew the Son was willing and able to accomplish this great deed of amazing love. “God made Him Who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” as Paul so beautifully expresses in 2 Corinthians 5:21. Jesus saved His people from their sin and its damning effects upon the persons God has given Him. Why the “mourning and sackcloth” believer? No longer are our sins not forgiven. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Look to your perfect Lord and remember that you are complete and justified in Him – not lacking anything. Because of the Cross, when God looks upon the believer in Jesus He sees them robed in the righteousness of Christ – the perfect life of Jesus instead of the damning life of me and of you – simply and utterly amazing! Our acceptance and standing are in the Savior and in Him alone - fully secured.
We must also remember that while Jesus exempts us from the damnation of sin, He does not exempt us from sorrow – we must expect and acknowledge this fact. Our Lord Himself was a man of sorrows and familiar with sufferings. Should we expect better treatment than He? Jesus Himself promises us troubles in this world. He also bids us in all four Gospels to deny self and to take up our cross and follow Him. And if we suffer for being a Christian there is even divine recompenses for that – one never outgives God. Also, humility always precedes exaltation. We must learn the paradox that the way down is up, that to be brought low is to be high, to be broken is to be healed, and to have a broken and contrite heart the Lord will never despise. We are in blessed company because our path is marked by the Savior’s steps and it is He who gives us the power of the Holy Spirit to walk in a manner worthy of the Gospel. From the first to the last it is the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit Who does it all for me and for you. We can trust Him with our lives. “Amazing love how can it be that thou my God should die for me?” As Krishna Ral put it: “Jesus for thee a body takes, thy guilt assumes, thy fetter breaks, discharging all thy dreadful debt; and canst thou then such love forget?”
May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Galatians 6:14 (NIV)