Exhortation:
One of the most beautiful facets of the gospel message is that of substitution – God reverses our fortunes as sinners destined for destruction by substituting his own Son to take that penalty on our behalf and granting to us the reward of his righteous life. Know this, that for those who trust in the Lord, their fortunes will be reversed. Christ has taken your punishment that you might receive his reward. Let’s affirm this truth together as we read from 2 Corinthians 5.
Congregational Reading from 2 Corinthians 5:21
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 ESV)