Dear Hope family,

Thought for the Week

Loved and Paid for!

Romans 5v8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” 

We tend to think of substitution in a team game such as football. In that context, a player may often not want to be substituted. But in a Nazi concentration camp, the guards were about to shoot ten men. A catholic priest, Maximilian Kolbe stepped forward out of concern for a man who had a wife and children. He said to the guards, “I wish to die for that man.” His offer was accepted and he became a substitute for Francisek. Francisek and his family were forever grateful.

In God’s justice, our inclination to sin means we deserve eternal punishment and separation from God. But God wanted to rescue us, so he chose to exercise justice on our sin by sending Jesus. He took our sin on himself and so was given the punishment due on us.

This is an amazing exchange. The price for our sin is paid. We are set free from guilt. All this is because God so loves us!

With love and blessing,

Roland