Saved From Wrath

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 

Romans 5:8-9 

Christ is the reason God spares us from His wrath. We are aware from the Scriptures that we are breakers of the law of God by nature and by choice. As Isaiah puts it, ‘All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, everyone, to his own way; and the LORD had laid on Him the iniquity of us all.’  The end of that verse ties in with our meditation for today. Instead of pouring out upon us the wrath we deserve, God has poured out His wrath upon Christ the sin-bearer. He has laid our iniquity upon Christ and punished Him as the guilty one. He justifies us by imputing Christ’s righteousness to us. Thus, ‘we shall be saved from wrath through Him.’ This is the best news for us. It is news that is glorious to receive and glorious to share. It brings us again to the reason Paul would say to the Corinthians, ‘For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.’ The preaching of Christ and Him crucified is the core business of anyone who preaches. Christ must be our message and preeminent in our proclamations. Otherwise, we quickly move to subjects of lesser importance and lose sight of Him. When we center upon Him, the shedding of his blood, and His place in the grand scheme of redemption we carry out the work which God gave His people to do.    

Our Great and Gracious God,  
we rejoice that You have spared us from Your wrath. 
We praise You that Christ has 
taken our place and satisfied it forever.