My dear readers,

(Excerpt from RPG "Morning & Evening" Jan – Mar 1997, Mar 28 / Jan 1 / Jan 3).

1. With His stripes we are healed"

The Roman scourge was a most horrible innovation of physical torture. It consisted of a lash of ox sinews (or tendons) bearing on its surface pieces of bone, almost razor sharp. Used on the bare body of captives, each lash would tear into skin and flesh, causing fearful lacerations.

Pilate delivered our Lord to the officers to be scourged, a Gentile sub­jecting the Prince of life to the most heartless and degrading punish­ment, for our sakes. God's Word says, "Surely he path borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted" (lsa 53:4).

"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" (Isa 53:5). Think, ponder the extreme anguish borne by our Lord, "and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth" (lsa 53:7).

Gaze upon Him, the King of glory, bearing the lowest form of torture for our sakes. Then raised on the cross of shame, He draws all men unto Himself; and all who look to Him in faith are instantly healed of their soul's disease. "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:14-15).

Can you say, "He was wounded for my transgressions, and with His stripes I am healed"?

2. Without shedding of blood is no remission
This is the voice of the unalterable truth, the utterance of the Most High. In no case, by no means, can sin be pardoned without atonement, and what atonement is sufficient for sins? "For it is not possible that the bloodof bulls and goats should take away sins" (Heb 10:4), says God’s Word, "with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish andwithout blemish and without spot" (l Pet 1:19).

Am I then believing in Him? Am I trusting in His blood, applied to my soul, to make atonement for my sins? The Word of God is clear: all have sinned, and all men need that atonement. No matter how moral, or generous, or amiable, or patriotic we may be, God’s law makes no exception. Sin will yield to nothing but the blood of Him whom God hath set forth as a propitiation (way of reconciliation) for us all.
God’s way of pardon and forgiveness is here freely offered to "whosoever will." Why should we seek another? Yet men seek refuge in formal religion: in good works, prayers, ceremonies, and other religious exercises. All these give but poor comfort. There is no salvation apart from Jesus; no forgiveness apart from remission by His precious blood. Behold Him, the Lamb of God who took our punishment upon Himself, that we might be forgiven!

Fall down in humble gratitude, and kiss the dear feet of Him whose blood atoned for your sins. "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us…" (Titus 3:5). Evermore keep looking to Jesus, who shed His sin-cleansing blood on the cross, and therein be assured: "…Son, thy sins be forgiven thee" (Mark 2:5).
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

3. We are debtors
As God’s creatures, we are debtors to Him. Having broken His holy commandments, we are debtors to His justice: we owe a debt which we have no means of paying. In our helpless estate God came in the person of His Son Jesus and paid the debt for us. "For when we were yet withoutstrength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly" (Rom 5:6). Christ our Lord had paid our debt.

Now then we are debtors to God for His grace and mercy, no longer to His justice, for He will never charge us for a debt already paid. When our Lord on the cross cried out, "It is finished!" He meant that His people’s debt was wiped away once for all and for ever from the book of remembrance. At Calvary, Christ satisfied divine justice to the uttermost; the account is fully settled.

From hence we become debtors of adifferent sort. We become ten times more indebted to God for the "unspeakable (inexpressible) gift" of His own Son; for His forgiving grace to undeserving sinners such as us; for His almighty power which has raised us from death; for His sustaining strength, preserving our spiritual life, keeping us from falling into sin; for His loving hand leading us onward in the face of many enemies and temptations. The beloved hymn says:

Come, Thou Fount

(Robert Robinson)

O to grace how great a debtor

Daily I’m constrained to be!

Let Thy goodness like a fetter

Bind my wandering heart to Thee:

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it –

Prone to leave the God I love;

Here’s my heart – O take and seal it,

Seal it for Thy courts above!

God bless all readers.

Yours faithfully in the Saviour’s Service,

Dr SH Tow, Sr Pastor