The cross is not an accident, tragedy, or merely an example of love. It is the center of God’s saving plan. Because God is holy and just, sin cannot simply be overlooked. The wages of sin is death. But because God is merciful, He sent His Son to stand in the place of sinners. Jesus lived the righteous life we failed to live and died the death sinners deserved. At the cross, justice and mercy meet. The believer’s hope is not that God decided sin was no big deal. Our hope is that Christ paid in full. This produces humility, worship, assurance, and obedience.
