Have you boys and girls had a substitute teacher this school year? A substitute teacher is a teacher who comes in and takes the place of your regular teacher. This story will help you to understand what the word “substitute” means.
Before my mother was married, she was a substitute school teacher. She taught in several country schools that had first grade through eighth grade all in one room. She often told us stories about her experiences as a substitute teacher.
The story I remember the most was about Thomas, a rather disobedient boy who was always shooting spitballs. In those days, Mother gave spitball shooters a swat with her ruler, but even the sharp sting of a ruler did not stop Thomas for very long.
One day Mother caught him shooting spitballs again. This time she told Thomas that he would have to swat her with the ruler, and she handed him the ruler. He didn’t want to do it, and he was so upset that he even cried, but Mother explained that a rule had been broken. She reminded him that the penalty for breaking the spitball rule was a swat with the ruler. She told him that she was going to be his substitute and take the swat in his place. After a long wait, Thomas finally hit her very lightly with the ruler.
Guess what? He never shot spitballs in school again.
Mother was teaching her students a lesson on substitution at the same time she was teaching them that a broken rule must have punishment. Thomas had sinned against my mother by breaking one of her rules, and yet she took his punishment for him. You and I have sinned against God, and the penalty for our sin is death. Romans 6:2323For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23) says, “The wages of sin is death.” However, the Lord Jesus, who is sinless, paid the penalty for sin by taking the punishment when He suffered and died on the cross. While the Lord Jesus died to pay the penalty for sin, you and I are not automatically saved from our sins. A person can only be saved by believing that the Lord Jesus died for that person’s very own sins and, through faith, trusting the Lord Jesus to save him from a lost eternity and to take him to heaven. In Acts 16:3131And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. (Acts 16:31) we read, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” When a person trusts the Lord Jesus as his Substitute, he can know for sure that he is saved because God tells him so in His written Word, the Bible: “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God” (1 John 5:1313These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. (1 John 5:13)).
I hope those of you who have trusted the Lord Jesus as your very own Saviour are thanking Him often for loving you and for being your Substitute by taking the punishment for your sins. I’m thankful that the Lord Jesus took my place, and I’m grateful that He is my Saviour. If you still aren’t saved, won’t you trust Him to be your Substitute too?
ML-11/01/2015