I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake. ~ 1 John 2:12

And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. ~ Ephesians 4:32

If you will let these verses sink down into your heart you will find the true beauty in the cross of Christ. Christ died for us, because he loved us. He died as a spotless lamb and it is for his sake (the sake of the innocent lamb of God) that God has forgiven our sins.

In Revelation 1:5, John tells us that Jesus loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood. It was love that freed us from sin. It was the perfect, sinless, holy Christ that sanctified us and made us accepted in the eyes of God.

Peter tells us that we were redeemed with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. ~ 1 Peter 1:18

In the Old Testament when the sacrifices which foreshadowed Jesus were offered, they had to be offered as holy and unblemished sacrifices.

Consider for a moment what the ideology that claims that God poured out his wrath on Jesus, really teaches. It states that before God could save us, forgive us, redeem us, God had to exhaust all his wrath on a holy, pure, sinless, and spotless victim. It states that God had to get retribution on the innocent to save the guilty.

This concept is taught nowhere in scripture. It literally has to be built into texts and is of pagan origins. It is not the revelation of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Proverbs 17:15 tells us, He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the Lord. God does not justify the guilty by condemning the innocent. This would make God an unjust Judge, but this is exactly what many teach. Instead, God justifies the guilty because the innocent lays down his life for the guilty, and this is what Jesus did when he gave his life for us.

God forgives us not because he condemned the Just One, but because the Just one gave his life for us. Oh, if we could just see the marvelous truth of the saving Christ, how it would change our affection for Jesus. Peter preaching in Acts 3 says the following:

The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go. But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses. ~ Acts 3:13-15

It wasn’t God who denied the Holy and Just One, it was the people! We are not forgiven because God punished Christ out of his anger/wrath. We are forgiven because Christ loved us even as the Father loves us, and gave his life to save us. Jesus willingly took the penalty of death when there was no sin in him and by his blood, he redeemed us.

This disposition in Jesus,  was to God a sweet fragrance (Ephesians 5:1-2). And for his sake, God has made us accepted in him, and forgiven us ! Think about this today and let the reality of this beautiful, lovely truth take root into your heart. For Christ’s sake, you belong to God and your sins are forgiven! 

For Christ’s sake your sins are forgiven. For his name’s sake your sins are forgiven.