There is a need for me to see God as a man, the Son of Man. The Son of Man took my sins upon Himself and died. He died, not for my sins from the day I was born until the day I confessed Him as Savior but, for my sins from the day I was born until the day I am taken out of this flesh. The LORD died for the sins of mankind, from the day Adam first heard the voice of God and disobeyed until the day the last human is taken out of this flesh. I was not born out of the sins of my parents, but out of the love of God. As a man, God was able and willing to take my sins upon His flesh and die for me – in my place.

What does that say about the life that I must live? Am I to now live a perfect life? Can I live a perfect life? The voice of God has said to love God. Can I do that? The voice of God has said to love one another. Can I do that? The word of God has said, “I will not leave you an orphan,” and “I will send you another Helper – the Spirit of Truth.” The fruit of the Spirit is love. By the grace of God – by His gifting only, I can love Him and love another. If I can take the righteousness of the Savior as my righteousness, then only can I be righteous. If the Savior can come and dwell in me, with His compassion, then only can I love as God desires. Only if I delight myself in the LORD will he grant the desires of my heart. Only if I delight myself in the LORD will the desire of my heart be worth being granted. Only by the grace of God can I live a life worthy of His love.

Should I seek to be perfect? My own righteousness is like a dirty rag before the Father. My Savior has washed my garments clean with the blood of His life – with His righteousness. Why would I put on my righteousness before the throne of God? Why would I put back on the dirty rags of my life, when my Savior has granted to me the garments purified by His life? My garments were only as good as dirty rags when I was righteous and not even that good in my sins. I cannot stand before the throne of God in my own garments. Then, I must take on the righteousness of my Savior and accept the Holy Spirit to grow the love in me I need to obey. He has dies for my sins, so I must live without them but that is not the same as being perfect myself.

The whip cut across the flesh of the back and the tail flipped around and caught a piece of the cheek. Pieces of skin caught on the whip as it was drawn back and readied to strike again. The thorns pierced the skin and blood ran into the eyes and felt like tears running down the face. It was not my back, not my cheek, and not my eyes – it was not my blood. It was my sin! It was my sin that split His back and my sin that pierced His head. The sound of the hammer hitting the tops of the nails echoed in the ears. Angels were give charge so that no bone was broken. Angels watched over to protect as much as they were allowed. They were not allowed to stop the nail that was guided by their hands so it could pierce it without breaking even the smallest bone. It was not my ears that heard the sounds nor was it my hands that were pierced, but my sins were the heavy hammer that drove the nails deep into the wooden cross. It was not me that hung on the cross, but it was for me that He died upon the wood that He created.

What can be done that was worth all that the LORD has done? God came, as the Son of Man, and was lifted up to draw all of mankind unto Himself. He spoke with His own voice and said, “Love one another.” Can that be what He believed was worth all that He went through? The commandment of the Father is to believe on the Son and to love one another. The commandment of the Son is to love God and love one another. The Father loved us so much that He sent His Son as the Son of Mankind. The Son loved the Father so much that He died for us, because the Father loves us. Shouldn’t we then, love one another?

© 2005, Tim D. Coulter Sr.