Jesus Paid the Price

The woman hung her head in shame. There was no denying it, yes, she was
guilty, yes, she had broken the law.

The judge pounded the gavel, "breaking any of these laws even once is
punishable by death. It is here-by ordered that you be put to death for
your
crimes."

The woman sobbed. The verdict was perfectly just, she knew she was
guilty,
and deserved death. Sorrow washed over her as she resigned herself to
her
sentence.

A man approached the judge from the center of the isle and asked to
speak.
The judge allowed it.

"Your Honor", the man said, "I would like to plead this woman's case
before
you, if I may."

The judge responded that there was no need, the woman was guilty and
the
judgement would stand.

"Your Honor", the man said, "this woman is clearly sorry for her acts.
Is
there no way her sentence can be commuted or lessened?"

"I can see your compassion for this woman," the judge said, "and I
understand it, nevertheless, she is guilty by law, and her sentence
must be
carried out."

"Is there any other way, Your Honor, any way at all?"

"No, son, there is no other way." The Judge resoponded.

"If there is no other way, and her sentence must stand, then I ask to
please
approach the bench."

"You may approach." The Judge said.

The woman continued to sob as she watched the judge converse with the
kind
stranger. Their conversation was quiet and thoughtful, the woman
wondered
what possible good the stranger could do.

The kind stranger left the bench and walked over to the woman. Taking
her
hands gently in his, he said to her, "if you will accept it, I will pay
your
debt for you."

The woman was stunned and began to sob even harder. "kind sir, my
sentence
is death."

"I know the sentence, my dear woman, and I am ready to pay it for you,
do
you believe me?"

"Yes, I believe you." The woman replied.

The Judge pounded the gavel, "then it is so ordered."

"but...but..."the woman replied, "I don't know what to say, how can I
ever
repay such kindness."

The kind stranger allowed himself to be handcuffed and led toward the
back
of the court room.
"The only thing required of you my child, is that you believe me."
Replied
the kind stranger.

"I believe you," the woman sobbed.

"Kind sir", the woman asked the stranger, "the law is hard to follow,
in
fact I know I am not able to keep the law. You are giving your life for
me,
paying the debt I now owe, but what about in the future? What happens
to me
if I break the law again after you have paid my past debt?"

The kind stranger looked at her with great compassion in his eyes. "I
understand your question. What you must understand is that your
sentence has
not been changed or taken away. Your sentence is death and it will be
carried out, but it will be I who am put to death for you. Even though
it is
I who will die, it is your sentence which I am paying, in your place,
do you
understand?"

"I think so," the woman replied, "But I am not sure, I still don't
understand my future debt that I surely will aquire."

"When you go into a graveyard and look at the headstones," the kind
stranger
said, "which of the people in their graves continues to sin?"

"None of them kind sir, someone who is dead cannot sin any longer in
this
world."

"Exactly," said the kind stranger. "I am taking your punishment FOR
you, in
your place. Since you believe me, you will actually "die" with me.
After
this you will live under grace and none of your future crimes will be
held
against you. A dead person cannot sin.

"It is hard to understand, kind sir, but I believe you, and I am
forever
greatful to you." The woman replied.

Romans 6
3Or do you not know that all of us who have been (E)baptized into
(F)Christ
Jesus have been baptized into His death?

4Therefore we have been (G)buried with Him through baptism into death,
so
that as Christ was (H)raised from the dead through the (I)glory of the
Father, so we too might walk in (J)newness of life.

5For (K)if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death,
certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection,

6knowing this, that our (L)old self was (M)crucified with Him, in order
that
our (N)body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer
be
slaves to sin;

7for (O)he who has died is freed from sin.

Rom 4
5But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the
ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

6Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom
God
imputeth righteousness without works,

7Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins
are
covered.

8Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.

John 3

14And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must
the Son
of man be lifted up:

15That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal
life.

16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting
life.

17For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but
that the
world through him might be saved.

18He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not
is
condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only
begotten Son of God.

If we believe that our Precious Savior died in our place and paid our
debt
for us, then we shall be saved.
Amen
Agape
Zelma