‘…He leads me in the paths of righteousness…’ Psalm 23:3 NKJV
How could a God who is perfect live side by side in Heaven with people like us who aren’t? That’s like asking if a top university would admit someone with only a kindergarten education. Then what are we to do? Find a worthy substitute, or be lost forever! That’s where Jesus comes in; He’s the Good Shepherd who gave His life for the sheep. It’s the great transfer! At the cross God placed all our sins on Christ, and at the point of believing faith He places all Christ’s righteousness on us. Awesome! Actor Kevin Bacon recalls when his six-year-old son saw the movie Footloose for the first time: ‘Hey, Dad, you know that part in the movie where you swing from the rafters? That’s really cool, how did you do that?’ I said, ‘Well, I didn’t do that part…it was a stuntman.’ ‘What’s a stuntman?’ he asked. ‘That’s someone who dresses like me and does things I can’t do.’ ‘Oh,’ he replied, and walked out of the room looking a little confused. Later, he said, ‘Hey, Dad, you know that part in the movie where you spin around on that gym bar and land on your feet? How did you do that?’ I said, ‘Well, I didn’t do that either. That was a gymnastics double.’ ‘What’s a gymnastics double?’ he asked. ‘That’s a guy who dresses in my clothes and does things I can’t do.’ Then my son asked, ‘Dad, what did you do?’ ‘I got all the glory,’ I sheepishly replied. The songwriter put it this way: ‘Dressed in His righteousness alone, faultless to stand before Thy throne. On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.’
SoulFood: 1 Tim 1-3, John 5:16-30, Ps 5, Pr 24:8-9
