Mercy is extended to everyone who says “yes” to Christ. God is perfectly just, so when His laws are broken, a penalty must be paid. Jesus fully paid the penalty for all our sins, and through Him we experience God’s great mercy.
The Cross of Christ is the game changer between life with God or apart from God. And at the Cross, those in Jesus find confidence and security in their salvation because He completely paid the dues of our sins against God.
God Almighty chose to place all the sins of mankind who had lived and would live on Christ. He turned His back on His beloved Son and cursed Jesus to redeem sinful people. In His sacrifice, we find mercy.
“…that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.” –2 Corinthians 5:19, emphasis from author
“When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins (past, present, and future), having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.” – Colossians 2:13-14, emphasis from author
This certificate of debt that Paul refers to included every sin we would commit throughout the course of our lives. In Jesus’ last words—“it is finished”—He declared that the debt we owed was forever paid in full (John 19:30).
Just think about the truths found in Romans 4:7:
“Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.”
What an incredible blessing to know that all sins for all eternity are paid for by Christ’s personal love for each of us! Because God’s perfect justice was poured out on Jesus, we are lavished in His mercy… and our sins will never be counted against us.
Jesus fully took what we deserved so the Father could give us what we don’t deserve—His love and grace instead of condemnation and punishment.
When we sin and feel our guilt, we need to remember our need for mercy and look to Jesus. Through His humiliating death on the Cross, all mankind’s sin against a holy and righteous God was cancelled out.
Instead of condemnation and shame, God extends mercy to us in our daily failure and sin.