Pastor’s Corner: “The Proxy”
Romans 6:23 (NIV) – 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
During an interview with a magazine editor a few years ago, actor Bradley Cooper reflected on his father’s death and how it caused him to address his own mortality. He said “All of a sudden I was like, ‘Oh, right, I’m going to die too.’ …I was like, ‘Okay. This is death. And this is going to happen to me one day.’” It’s true, one out of every one person will die. The mortality rate is 100%. We do not like to think about this, but the reality is true. To many this inevitability is the cause of much internal fear, turmoil and dread because they do not understand the love of God revealed through His Son Jesus.
Romans 6:23 teaches us several things. Without Christ, we are going to die and spend an eternity in hell as payment for our sins. Death in the Scriptures refers to a “separation.” Everyone will die, but some will live in heaven with the Lord for eternity. The death spoken of here refers to the life in hell. However, the this verse teaches us is that eternal life is available through Jesus Christ. He is our substitute, He is our proxy. He died in our place.
Jesus Christ died in our place when He was crucified on the cross. We deserved to be the ones placed on that cross to die because we are the ones who live sinful lives. We are the one who deserves the suffering, rejection, persecution, and pain that Jesus experienced, yet Jesus obeyed God to be the substitute for us. His substitution made it possible for us to receive salvation. 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV) – 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
HE TOOK OUR PLACE. Jesus didn’t even try to get out of this nightmare scenario. Brutal torture, persecution, humiliation, the weight of carrying all sin and ultimately death awaited Him. He was completely innocent, yet, He did not even defend Himself. He could have called down legions of angels to save Him. If you thought Jesus’ life was taken from Him take a careful look at this conversation He has with Pilate who sentenced him to death (John 18:25-40). The reality is Jesus gave up His life for us knowing it was the only way we could be saved. Jesus did not have to die for you, He freely chose to die for you, because He loves you more than you could imagine. HE TOOK YOUR PLACE.
Maximilian Kolbe was put into Auschwitz in February 1941 for helping Jews escape from the Nazis. While there an escape took place and to teach the rest a lesson, ten people would be randomly taken to die of starvation and exposure. A Polish Jew by the name of Frandishek Gasovnachek heard his name called. He cried out, “Wait, I have a wife and children!” Kolba stepped forward and said, “I will take his place.” He was taken into a cell with nine others. He died on August 14, 1941. Gasovnachek was interviewed years later at the age of 82. He could not tell the story without weeping, even after all of those years. He showed the interviewer a marble monument that had flowers around it which read: IN MEMORY OF MAXMILLAN KOLBA. HE DIED IN MY PLACE. Every year on August 14, Gasovnachek traveled to Auschwitz in memory of his friend who took his place.
The proof of God’s amazing love is this: that it was “while we were sinners Christ died for us.”Because He did this for us, we now have the opportunity to not only have our sins forgiven, but to spend eternity with God in heaven. In order to do this we must place our faith in what Christ did on the cross. We cannot save ourselves; we need a substitute to take our place. Have you accepted Jesus as your Proxy? Jesus is a beautiful gift given for you, receive Him today.
In His Grace,
Pastor Hamilton