Is. 53:5 "And with his stripes we are healed."

We crave heartfelt sincerity and unselfish love. When we encounter such sincerity and love, it affects us deeply. We Christians are often poor reflectors of Christ's love. For this reason we should not seek this love from each other but look directly to the Eternal Love, as the Bible describes Christ. Then we will understand that our salvation is in Him alone.

"So His appearance was marred more than any man... He was pierced through for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities" (Is. 52:14, 53:5). "God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Rom. 5:8). "One died for all" (2 Cor. 5:14). "The chastening for our well?being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed" (Is. 53:5). "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us" (Gal. 3:13).

In this way the Bible describes the substitionary suffering of God's Son in our behalf.

Let us examine our lives: Just think of all the evil we have done in God's sight. Can you comprehend that God has specifically loved you in Christ and that He sent Him, His own Son, because of you? If we understand the enormity of our sins, we can only be amazed by God's love. God's Son has been sacrificed for the likes of me! But if this is the case, does not His love draw us to Him like a magnet? He exudes heartfelt warmth into our cold hearts. It is good to trust in Him.

Christ's vicarious suffering puts our works to shame. The only basis for our salvation is Christ. "For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ" (1 Cor. 3:11). "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 3:23,34).

Forgiveness of our sins is based on Christ's atonement. If we seek a basis for our salvation in ourselves we are lost. But when we build on Christ the Rock, we are safe.