SOME years ago, when visiting― Union, I read in one of the wards the 32nd Psalm. After reading it through, I called the attention of the inmates to the first two verses as showing who were truly blessed; not those who have never sinned, as natural reason would suggest, but those whose sins are forgiven. They listened attentively to what I said, and agreed that such a declaration was most encouraging to guilty sinners. Coming to the second verse, I read over again the words, “Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity.” I then asked them this question: Can you tell me how God can consistently impute no sin to those who have sinned? You admit that all have sinned, and that God cannot excuse sin, or overlook it in the least, for He has said, “I will by no means clear the guilty.” Yet there are those to whom He does not reckon sin! How can it be?
They opened their eyes in astonishment, and knew not what to say; clearly the question had never struck them before. Proceeding, I said, Let me show you, from the 53rd of Isaiah, how that question is answered. The sixth verse will be sufficient: “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way, and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” Here is the explanation: Jesus Christ, in love, came into the sinner’s place; God laid, or made to meet, on Him all our iniquities; they were transferred from the guilty to the sinless One, that He might bear the punishment they deserved, and put them away by the sacrifice of Himself. In the New Testament we read the same language: “He hath made Him to be sin for us, Who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” Because of this, God does not reckon sin to those who trust in Jesus; their sin has already been reckoned to Him, and once and forever put away by Him. Hence the believer in Jesus stands clear, free from all condemnation, and accepted by the holy God. Would you have the blessedness spoken of in this verse, you can only have it by accepting as your substitute the Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for your sins. Our Lord Himself says, “He that believeth in Me is not condemned, but he that believeth not is condemned already.” See, therefore, how your present and eternal happiness depends upon your relation to Christ. Accept Him and sin will no longer be imputed to you; you will know the blessedness of peace with God. But if you reject Him, you are condemned already, and the wrath of God abideth on you. Reader, have you seriously thought of this matter? Have you accepted Jesus as your Saviour? Remember, “there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:1212Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. (Acts 4:12)). O. T.