The Great Transfer

I was watching a television drama in which one of the stars committed a horrible crime due to duress. When the authorities came to her home to make the arrest, her husband stepped forward and confessed to the crime. His love for her compelled him, an innocent man with a good name, to take her place.

Immediately the guilt of the crime was transferred from her to him. In the eyes of the law, all of her guilt and forthcoming punishment was placed on him, and his total innocence was given to her. Did she deserve it? No. Quite simply, he made the choice because of his love for her. He did not want to see her suffer. He helped her when she couldn’t help herself.

The Bible says, “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13 NLT).

This transfer of guilt for innocence, shame for honor, punishment for freedom, and yes death for life is the most magnificent expression of love known to mankind. We are all beneficiaries of this great transfer. When the Creator of all things, past present, and future made the decision to rescue His fallen mankind, He knew that there was only one sacrifice that would make the great transfer possible, His Son, His only Son Jesus.

God’s love for us compelled Him to take action when we could not help ourselves. It is written, “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16 NLT).

The Bible tells us how that when Jesus was on trial, the crowd was given a choice to either let Him go free or the worst criminal & rebel Barabbas. They chose Barabbas, a man guilty of many crimes to go free. He was the first of us who was guilty of rebellion and many sins, to have his guilt transferred to Jesus, and the innocence of Jesus transferred to him.

The Bible says, “For He (God) hath made Him (Jesus) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (Jesus)” (II Corinthians 5:21 KJV).

God transferred our sin to Jesus on the cross, and transferred His righteousness to us. Incredible! What love! As we accept this great transfer of love, we become as innocent, pure, and holy, in God’s eyes, as Jesus. When God the Father transferred us into Jesus Christ, it was a sovereign act.

We didn’t plan it, ask for it, or desire it. But like the guilty woman whose husband took her place, Jesus Christ took our place. Just as we didn’t deserve His righteousness, He didn’t deserve our sin, guilt, shame, and punishment. Yet He took it. If He would do that for us, how much more so should we accept His offer of grace, mercy, and righteousness?

We who have accepted Him and know Him shall praise His name forever. For those who have not accepted Him, His nail-scarred hands, which should belong to you and I, reach out in love. He would say to you with a smile, “Come. Accept me. The great transfer has been made.”