The Doctrine of Substitution

INTRODUCTION

Romans 3:23 “23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”

Romans 6:23 tells us: “23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Death is the penalty of sin. Christ, as the innocent Lamb of God, died and suffered the penalty of death in the place of the sinner, who is the actual guilty party. We, as sinners, owe the debt sin requires, but Christ took our place and bore the penalty of God’s judgment which we rightly deserve.

I-THE REASON FOR SUBSTITUTION-SIN

Isaiah 59:2 - “But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.”

A-Sin is not a disease of the mind, a mistake, etc. It is the willful, rebellious breaking of Divine law - it is perverseness, crookedness, or distortion. Only Christ can make crooked paths straight!

1-Romans 4:15 - “Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.”

2-1 John 3:4 - “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.”

B-Sin is not just an offense against man, but it is an offense against God.

1-Genesis 39:9 - “There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?”

2-Psalm 51:4 - “Against thee, thee only, have I sinned…”

All are held responsible for their own sin and its consequences

Leviticus 5:17 KJV 1900

17 And if a soul sin, and commit any of these things which are forbidden to be done by the commandments of the Lord; though he wist it not, yet is he guilty, and shall bear his iniquity.

This is referring to breaking any commandments of God in ignorance…Ignorance of the law is no excuse. It doesn’t work in our government, and it doesn’t work with God either…In spite of the lack of knowledge of the commandment, the offender was guilty and was held liable...

Romans 3:23 KJV 1900

23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Individuals and nations come under God’s judgment for their sin.​

2 Chronicles 7:14 KJV 1900

14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Isaiah 60:12 KJV 1900

12 For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; Yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted.

II-THE MEANING OF SUBSTITUTION-COVERING

Let’s look at the Old Testament first concerning Substitution…

The sacrifice of an animal to remove sin

Leviticus 5:5–6, “And it shall be, when he shall be guilty in one of these things, that he shall confess that he hath sinned in that thing: And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the Lord for his sin which he hath sinned, a female from the flock, a lamb or a kid of the goats, for a sin offering; and the priest shall make an atonement for him concerning his sin.”

Where did this come from? It all started in Genesis...

Genesis 3:21, “Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them.”

God literally clothed their nakedness by taking the life of an animal - a sacrifice...

A-Psalm 32:1 - “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.”

1-The idea behind the word forgiven is the lifting of a burden or debt…The idea behind the word covered is that of a sacrificial covering of sin by blood.

B-Psalm 65:3 - ‘Iniquities prevail against me: as for our transgressions, thou shalt purge them away.’

1-David had an understanding of the sacrificial system in God’s plan. David understood the struggle with sin, and how we sometimes fail. He understood that God’s answer for transgressions is an atoning (covering) sacrifice that God would provide.

1 Peter 2:24 KJV 1900

24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

Christ bore our sins as a sin-bearing substitute. He provided our healing from sin. He covered our sin with His own blood.

Spurgeon wrote, “We have died to sins in the sense that our debt of sin and guilt was paid by Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. When we died to sins with Jesus on the cross, it means that He paid our debts. We do not trouble ourselves over debts that are paid. “He who bore my sins in his own body on the tree, took all my debts and paid them for me, and now I am dead to those debts; they have no power over me. I am dead to my sins; Christ suffered instead of me. I have nothing to do with them. They are gone as much as if they had never been committed.”

III-THE SOURCE OF SUBSTITUTION-JESUS

Isaiah 53:4–5 KJV 1900

4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, And carried our sorrows: Yet we did esteem him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: The chastisement of our peace was upon him; And with his stripes we are healed.

The great sacrifice that Jesus made for us is addressed here. Surely or truly Christ bore our griefs. What does this mean? This word “borne” is from the Hebrew word which means “to lift or carry, to bare continuously, to forgive.”

He bore our griefs has the idea of physical or spiritual sickness and infirmities.

Mankind is spiritually sick. The problem is a sin problem and that is what is addressed in Isaiah 53. No matter who you are or who you think you are, you are a sinner. Most would admit that, yet, there are folks that don’t believe they are sinners. Christ carried or was weighed down by the load of our sorrows and pain from our sins.

This word “wounded” is a strong, intense word. It’s from the Hebrew word which means “to pollute oneself; to pierce; stained; to be slain.”

It’s described as very painful, violent death. Christ died for our sins, taking the sins of the entire world upon Himself.

He was stained with His own blood for you and I as the lashes cut into His back, as the nails pierced His hands and feet, and as the sword pierced His side.

2 Corinthians 5:19–21 KJV 1900

19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. 21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Galatians 3:13 KJV 1900

13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

1 Peter 3:18 KJV 1900

18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

Jesus was bruised for our iniquities, perversity, and guilt. This word “bruised” is from the Hebrew word which means “to allow oneself to be crushed; to beat to pieces; to be broken.”

The body of our Lord was broken under the weight of all of our sins. Sin is a heavy burden. Our sins crushed Jesus.

At the last supper He had with His disciples, Jesus spoke about His body being broken. Christ laid down His life for us. He allowed Himself to be crushed for our corruption. The iniquity of us all was laid upon Him.

By righteous imputation, the justice our sin demanded is satisfied. They were not excused; God didn’t give mankind a get out of jail free card. The only reason man is reconciled is because Christ was the substitute for the penalty we faced.

CONCLUSION

He Himself experienced our sin, He Himself gave His own son, a ransom on our behalf, the Holy for the unholy, the innocent for the guilty, the righteous for the unrighteous, the incorruptible for the corruptible, the immortal for the mortal. Nothing else than perfect righteousness could cover up our sin. Nobody else than the Son of God could give us justification for our lawlessness and ungodliness. What an exchange! The lawlessness of many would be concealed in Christ, and His righteousness would justify the lawless. That is what substitution is and why it is so important. Without Christ as our substitute, we would have no hope.