God So Loved
I want to paint a picture for you this morning. Picture yourself arguing with a friend and you really lose it. You pull out a gun and kill your friend. You are caught and arrested. You receive your day in court and found guilty of your sin of murder. You are sentenced to die by lethal injection. With all of your appeals exhausted you are lead to the execution chamber, where they lay you on a table. A heart monitor and an "I V" are hooked up to your body. You watch as the attendant makes ready the poison that will be placed into your "I V". You glance at the clock and see that you only have 1 minute left for a stay of execution. The phone is silent. Is this the end? As the attendant readies the lethal poison, the door swings opens. In walks a young man of about 33 years old. He says "Stop, set this man free." He then looks at you with love and compassion and says, "My father loves you so much that I have come to take your place. I will take on not only your sin of murder, but also all of your sins. I will die in your place. You are set free if you choose to be." You say "yes" and you watch as this young man lies on the table in your place. The "I V" is inserted into his arm. You watch as the lethal poison is injected into the "I V". You listen as the young man says "Forgive them Father". You then watch as the man with his last breath says, "It is finished". Then he dies.
If this would actually
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