God hates sin and the sinner. The boastful shall not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers.(Psalm 5:5; Psalm 11:5)
But God also “so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. (Romans 3:23-26)
Some ask, “Why did God have to send His son to die? Why couldn’t God just forgive us of our sin?” God is not only loving, merciful, and gracious. God is also just, holy, and righteous. God does not compromise any of His attributes and if God just said, “You’re forgiven, don’t worry about my holiness or righteousness.” That would be like a judge looking at a murderer in court and saying, “Don’t worry about what is right and wrong I am just going to let you go.” That would be a horrible judge. Instead God protects and maintains all of His attributes at all times, infinitely and instantaneously. Because the wages of sin is death(see Romans 6:23) the penalty has to be paid. God sent Jesus to pay that penalty for His people.
Not only did Jesus pay the penalty but He also bought His people and confirmed the New Covenant with His blood. “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
He entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant. For where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established. For a will takes effect only at death, since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive. Therefore not even the first covenant was inaugurated without blood. For when every commandment of the law had been declared by Moses to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, saying,“This is the blood of the covenant that God commanded for you.” And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both the tent and all the vessels used in worship. Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. (Hebrews 9:12-22, ESV)
The New Covenant that Jesus bought with His blood is this:
“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” (Jeremiah 31:31-34)
“Now therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning this city of which you say, ‘It is given into the hand of the king of Babylon by sword, by famine, and by pestilence’: Behold, I will gather them from all the countries to which I drove them in my anger and my wrath and in great indignation. I will bring them back to this place, and I will make them dwell in safety. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, for their own good and the good of their children after them. I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me. I will rejoice in doing them good, and I will plant them in this land in faithfulness, with all my heart and all my soul. (Jeremiah 32:36-41)
I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God. (Ezekiel 36:24-28)
Jesus came to save His people from their sins and to seal the New Covenant:
She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. (Matthew 1:21)
Even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28)
For this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. (Matthew 26:28)
And he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. (Mark 14:24)
Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant. (Hebrews 9:15)
so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. (Hebrews 9:28)
Jesus died for His Sheep:
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. (John 10:11)
I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. (John 10:14-15)
The sheep are also known as “the elect” or “God’s elect” in the Bible. The elect are those who call on the name of the Lord to be saved. They are the ones who have been chosen by God before the world began for adoption as sons in Jesus Christ for salvation. (see Ephesians 1:3-14; Luke 18:7; Romans 8:33; Romans 9:6-18; Romans 11:7; 2 Timothy 2:10; Titus 1:1)
We must proclaim the Gospel because there are other sheep.
And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.(John 10:16)
Jesus said they will listen and He must bring them also... This is why the Gentiles rejoiced in Acts:
And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed. (Acts 13:48)
Jesus saves His people effectively:
For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. (Romans 8:29-30)
And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:6, ESV)
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