The concept of substitution may be said, then, to lie at the heart of both sin and salvation.  For the essence of sin is man substituting himself for God, while the essence of salvation is God substituting himself for man.  Man asserts himself against God and puts himself where only God deserves to be; God sacrifices himself for man and puts himself where only man deserves to be.  Man claims prerogatives that belong to God alone; God accepts penalties that belong to man alone.

…

The doctrine of substitution affirms not only a fact (God in Christ substituted himself for us) but its necessity (there was no other way by which God’s holy love could be satisfied and rebellious human beings could be saved).  Therefore, as we stand before the cross, we begin to gain a clear view both of God and of ourselves, especially in relation to each other.  Instead of inflicting on us the judgment we deserved, God in Christ endured it in our place.  Hell is the only alternative.  This is the “scandal,” the stumbling block, of the cross.  For our proud hearts rebel against it.  We cannot bear to acknowledge either the seriousness of our sin and guilt or our utter indebtedness to the cross.  Surely, we say, there must be something we can do, or at least contribute, in order to make amends?  If not, we often give the impression that we would rather suffer our own punishment than the humiliation of seeing God through Christ bear it in our place.  

- John Stott, The Cross of Christ, pp159-160

1. Everyone else to stop sinning in ways that annoy me, inconvenience me, or make me feel like I need to rebuke them or tell them to stop.
2. Everyone else to focus on making me happy, meeting my needs, fixing my problems.

Simple enough, right?  I feel like I’m not too unique here.

Here’s Jesus’ approach: “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” – Mark 10:45

I can’t “give my life as a ransom for many” and atone for sin.  But I can stop looking at myself and start looking at Jesus because of His atonement for sin. And I can serve others, for His glory, as Jesus enabled me and showed me how to do.

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. – 1 Peter 4:10-11

How to really be happy?  Live pointing at, relying on, and hoping in Jesus.

-Ben

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. – 2 Corinthians 5:21

Jesus took our sin upon Himself, and was punished for it.  He lived a perfect, righteous life, and that is counted to us.  This is called a “double imputation” – our sin is imputed to Christ and His righteousness is mputed to us.  Our sin was punished in Christ, so it doesn’t get punished in us.  His righteousness is given to us, because there’s no way we could live a righteous enough life on our own to get into heaven.

Listen to Isaiah prophesy about the work of Jesus:

Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. – Isaiah 53:11

What does this mean for Christians?

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. – Romans 8:1-4

Two things in there:

1. All the righteousness that we will ever need to gain right standing before God is DONE.  You can’t do anything more to earn your salvation, and to try to would be sinful and dishonoring to God.  We are loved, so we obey – not the other way around.  Obedience doesn’t earn us love, it flows out of it.

2. All the condemnation we deserved was put on Jesus, on the Cross, so that we are now NO LONGER under condemnation.  What does that mean?

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died-more than that, who was raised-who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? – Romans 8:31-35

For those who are in Christ Jesus (by faith), the condemnation is GONE and now God is 100% for us.  That God is an infinitely wise, loving, powerful God who know what is good for you FAR BETTER than you ever could.  God is more for you than you could ever be.

How does this ultimately work itself out? What does God know we need most?

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God. – 1 Peter 3:18

God is what we need most.  God is the Gospel.  Justification, righteousness, atonement, sanctification, redemption – all of those are good gifts, but not ultimate gifts.  In this case, the Giver is also the Ultimate Gift.

-Ben