Summer.

Miss these cute little faces around my house. 

They've gone to camp for the week. Till Saturday. House is dreadfully quiet. Boring, actually. Really looking forward to them coming back. 

So the trio of us remaining are just chilling at home. Temperatures are beginning to creep up again after a rainy weekend, so the pool was back in full swing this afternoon.

Been loving having time to catch up on reading. Seems there's often not enough to time to do quite enough of it. Recent devotional thoughts have been from 2 Corinthians 5:21, "For He (God) hath made Him (the Lord Jesus) to be sin for us, Who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him."

But how is it, that He, so holy and pure and sinless, could become sin? This most certainly does not mean that Jesus Christ somehow became actual sin. This would be impossible. Blasphemous that any would even consider it possible. What it means is that He became the sin offering. He became the once-for-all sacrifice, my substitute, my redemption from sin. Other scriptures back up that truth...

"And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us and given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour." (Ephesians 5:2) 

"...by the which we are sanctified thought the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." (Hebrews 10:10)

He became my sin offering. Bore my punishment for all of it. In His holy body. So that I, sinful me, could be pardoned from all of my sin and made acceptable in the presence of Holy God. Humbling to think of what my redemption cost the spotless Lamb of God. 

Last Sunday, a brother spoke on several "things" the Lord became for us. It was a touching message as it was sort of an extension of the truth I'd been appreciating of Him becoming my sin offering. I put the thoughts together in poem form. Hope you are humbled again, as I was, to be reminded of the stoop the Lord Jesus took to save from sin. If you've never accepted the Lord Jesus as your Saviour, He bore the punishment for your sins too. I pray you will accept Him. Today.

Here is what He became for you...

1. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)

2. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes became poor, that you through His poverty might be rich. (1 Corinthians 8:9)

3. And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. (Philippians 2:8)

4. For He (God) hath made Him to be sin for us, Who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

5. And being made perfect, He became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey Him. (Hebrews 5:9)

When we consider God and on His attributes reflect -

His righteousness, His love and power, His holy intellect;

Though King of kings and Lord of lords, we humbly must respect,

What HE BECAME for us. 

BECAME THE WORD IN FLESH, in grace and truth He dwelt with men;

From maker of the universe, to babe in Bethlehem;

From Father's house with mansions fair, to no room in the inn;

This... HE BECAME for us.

BECAME POOR so that sinners could be rich eternally;

He had no home to call His own, He lived in poverty. 

He was rejected by His own, despised by family.

This... HE BECAME for us.

BECAME OBEDIENT TO THE CROSS, that we might have rebirth;

Being found in fashion as a man He lived on earth,

Obedience to His Father's will displayed His holy worth.

This... HE BECAME for us. 

BECAME AN OFFERING FOR SIN so we might righteous be;

Although a man, He knew no sin, but lived in purity,

His substitutionary death paid our sins' penalty;

This... HE BECAME for us.

A perfect Man, a perfect Son, a perfect Servant - HE

BECAME THE AUTHOR OF SALVATION to all who agree,

That only God's salvation plan from sin can set us free.

This... HE BECAME for us.