Bryant Wright, Founder

“…He condemned sin in the flesh by sending His own Son…” Romans 8:3

The cross is the most transparent display of God’s justice and mercy.

Justice demanded a penalty. Mercy provided a substitute. And love held Jesus on that cross—His love for us. The more we grasp what Jesus endured for us, the more our hearts begin to change. We don’t just feel forgiven—we start living like someone forgiven. Grace doesn’t excuse sin—it empowers transformation.

Sin doesn’t just break rules—it breaks lives. And according to God’s law, sin is a capital offense. The Old Testament lists dozens of sins punishable by death. The list is sobering. Idolatry. Adultery. Blasphemy. Even dishonoring your parents could carry a death sentence under the Old Covenant.

And before you start thinking, “Well, thank God the New Testament did away with all that,” think again. God’s law has not changed. The death sentence for sin still stands. What has changed is Who paid it.

Romans 8:3 tells us that what the law couldn’t do—make us righteous—God did. How? By sending Jesus in human likeness to be a sin offering. He took our place. Our execution. Our guilt. The cross wasn’t tragic—it was substitution. Jesus died the death we should’ve died so we could live the life we don’t deserve.

This is the heart of the gospel.

Jesus didn’t come to lower the standard—He came to meet it. Perfectly. And then He laid down His sinless life so you and I could be declared righteous. Theologians call that “substitutionary atonement”—a big phrase for an even bigger grace.

Do you realize the weight of what Jesus took on for you? The next time you’re tempted to shrug off sins that would call for capital punishment no longer applying, remember that they all apply.

But Good News! The penalty for us has been paid. Jesus fulfilled our sentence.

Perfect justice. Perfect grace.

Ever wonder about the Holy Spirit? Tomorrow, we’ll study “New Spirit, New Life.” Don’t miss it!