"We speak of forgiveness and being forgiven. We hear that Christ "atoned" for our sins. But what does all this really mean? Peter tells us, "And He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds we were healed." (I Pet. 2:24) Isaiah spoke 700 yrs. earlier saying that "...My Servant, will justify the many, as He will bear their iniquities." (Isa. 53:11) What does it mean to "bear" our sins?
When we look at the OT Scriptures we find that different ones were held accountable for their own sins. We see the same when a criminal is charged with criminal actions. They must face their own guilt and take complete responsibility by facing the consequences tied to their guilt. Here comes Jesus and by taking our place, He made our personal sins His responsibility and faced the consequences of them on our behalf! He became the curse and condemnation that sin brings to us. He "bore" our sins by taking it upon Himself to carry our sins to the place of judgment, the cross! There and only there was the consequences faced and the sentence carried out. In this process, Jesus had to endure the hostilities of man on Himself (Heb. 12:2-3) to expose the depth of man's sinfulness that He had to bear.
How does all this impact our hearts? Just look at your life and see the depth of love and devotion it creates in you and there you will find the impact.
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