Click here to go to the Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:16-21

I tried to explain the concept of the Trinity to my daughter. After struggling for some time we realised that we had no words left to explain the enormity of God. We realised we could not put God’s awesomeness into words and that it would actually take away from God’s awesomeness to attempt to describe Him in words. The only thing left was to throw in the towel after all these word gymnastics and simply say: God is too great.

And after a couple of verses in 2 Corinthians I came to the same conclusion: God is great!

Where have you ever heard of an Almighty God who puts everything into the relationship, doing everything without the other party moving a finger? On the contrary, the other party chooses against God, runs away and only does what is wrong. All we have to do is to take this enormous hand that God offers us and say YES. Just that.

Paul knew the story and did everything possible to persuade people to accept this simple truth: 20God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God’s work of making things right between them. We’re speaking for Christ himself now: Become friends with God; he’s already a friend with you.

God couldn’t accept the poor relationship between us and Him anymore and, therefore, He made a plan. He created a solution to end the hostility. Not that he was in any way responsible for the broken relationship. No, we messed up. We are the party that did wrong in this relationship. But what does God do? He allows Jesus to become the lamb that had to be slaughtered. All our sin was put on the lamb and He had to bear the punishment for all our sin. 21How? you ask. In Christ. God put the wrong on him who never did anything wrong, so we could be put right with God.

Can you believe it? God transforms Jesus into sin. He turned the only One who had no sin, into sin. He put all mankind’s sin on Him, so that these sinful human beings, you and I, could have a chance at eternal life!

Wow! How can we ever understand this? This incomprehensible action by God just makes Him even larger in our eyes. God must love us very much. To punish His very own Son for our sins. But that is what He did. He took the package of sin from our hands. Now we don’t have to walk around dragging all our sin with us. No, Jesus died for that.

For many of us this is a difficult concept. Many find it too simple and are unable to leave their bag of sin at the cross. One woman was very sad. I could see her tears – her baggage was so heavy to bear: “I’ve done so many wrong things in my life, I really don’t know where I’m going after death. I’ve asked for forgiveness so many times and prayed for so long, but it feels as if the ceiling is laughing at me.”

What is the reason for our inability to leave the package there? Do we feel it’s too big? Do we not believe in the cross? Or do we also feel our prayers do not get past the ceiling?

We must not permit Jesus’ death on the cross to become meaningless. We must not allow ourselves to struggle dragging heavy baggage around. Even less should we allow sin to sour the relationship between God and us. Jesus has already died for our sin however big it is. Lay it before God. He will forgive. But more: Leave it there and never pick it up again. Your relationship with God has been healed.

Reflection

Do you struggle with sin?

Do you believe in the cross of Jesus?

How can you work on your relationship with God?

Prayer

Father, thank You for the gift of Your Son. I accept this gift from You. I leave my sin at the cross and I will not allow it to prevent me from living fully for You. Amen