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When I was a boy, I saw a sight I can never forget. I saw a man tied to a cart and dragged through the streets of town. His back was torn and bleeding from many lashes. It was a shameful punishment. For many offenses? No, for one offense. Did any of the townsmen offer to divide the lashes with him? No, he who committed the offense bore the penalty all alone. He was also the last person to bear that penalty, because the law soon changed.

When I was a student at the university, I saw another sight I can never forget. I saw a man delivered to die. His arms were tied up; his face was pale as death—thousands of eager eyes were upon him as he came from the jail. Did any man ask to die in his place? Did any friend come and loose the rope and say, “Put it around my neck; I will die instead”? No, he underwent the sentence of the law. For many offenses? No; for one offense of robbery. He broke the law at one point, and died for it. He also bore the punishment for a changing law. It was the last instance of capital punishment being inflicted for robbery.

Years later, I saw another sight I shall never forget. I saw my own soul torn and bleeding from years of sin. I felt the shame of all of my sins being seen by a Holy God. I saw myself a condemned sinner, standing on the brink of eternal punishment in the lake of fire. For one sin? No, for many, many sins committed against God. Did anyone offer to bear my sentence? Yes, I looked again and saw Jesus Christ offering to be my Substitute. He bore in His own body on the cross all the punishment for my sin (1 Peter 2:24). He died so that I might live. He suffered—the Just for the unjust—that He might bring me to God (1 Peter 3:18). Then I confessed my sins to Christ and trusted my soul to Him for salvation (Romans 10:9). He redeemed me from the curse of the law (Gal. 3:13). I had sinned and was condemned to eternal punishment. He bore the punishment and now I am free.

The never-changing law of God requires a perfect righteousness I could never even hope to attain by myself. Again I looked unto Him and found that “Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth” (Romans 10:4). The law required spotless purity, and I was defiled with sin. Again I looked unto “Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood” (Revelation 1:5).

I was a child of disobedience, a child of wrath; “But as many as received Him, to them gave He power [the right] to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His Name” (John 1:12). I found in Him not only my Substitute, and my Saviour, but the full supply of every need of my life.

I long to tell you of this Saviour, “for there is none other Name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Have you accepted Christ as your Substitute? He alone is able to remove the guilt and condemnation of sin. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

Believe He died for you and rose again to provide the way for your salvation. Repent of your sins, and put your trust in Jesus Christ as your Substitute, and you will be eternally saved from all the consequences of sin (Acts 13:38,39). Then you can truly say, “Christ is My Substitute.”

—Sir James Simpson (inventor of Chloroform)

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