The following two illustrations are adapted for Vaughan Roberts book 'Battles Christians Face'.
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Imagine that you are rushing to get a train. You arrive at the station and jump on just before it pulls off. But then you have a terrible thought. ‘Perhaps I am not on the right train—I didn’t ask the signal guard and I didn’t check the signs.’ As it happens you are heading in the right direction but you cannot enjoy the ride. You are worried until the ticket inspector comes along and assures you that this is your train.
That can be a picture of our Christian lives. We have placed our trust in Jesus but are not enjoying the ride. You see we fear that God has not forgiven all of our sins. We should be enjoying the journey but we are anxious. We think ‘perhaps I won’t end up at my hoped for destination.’ We need the ticket inspector to come along and reassure us.
That can be a picture of our Christian lives. We have placed our trust in Jesus but are not enjoying the ride. You see we fear that God has not forgiven all of our sins. We should be enjoying the journey but we are anxious. We think ‘perhaps I won’t end up at my hoped for destination.’ We need the ticket inspector to come along and reassure us.
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It is the end of time and we stand before the judgement seat of God. An angel begins to read from a heavy book. It takes many hours for him to do so and, with every line, we feel more helpless. The book is a record of all the sins we committed in our lives. Eventually the angel stops speaking and God asks him, “Tell me, whose name is on the cover?” To our great surprise the angel replies, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Then he takes another book and begins to read again. The account of this life could not be more different. It is full of love, truth, compassion and perfect righteousness; not a single sin is mentioned. Only one man has ever lived like that. Once more God asks, “Whose name is on the cover?” [The angel replies with your name].
Commenting on this illustration Vaughan Roberts says, ‘Once we trust in Christ, a glorious exchange has taken place. He has not only identified with us and taken the punishment for all our sins; he has also given us his perfect righteousness. God now treats us as if we lived Jesus’ life. In Paul’s great words: “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor. 5:21).
Commenting on this illustration Vaughan Roberts says, ‘Once we trust in Christ, a glorious exchange has taken place. He has not only identified with us and taken the punishment for all our sins; he has also given us his perfect righteousness. God now treats us as if we lived Jesus’ life. In Paul’s great words: “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor. 5:21).
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