Vicarious Atonement

The Necessity for Vicarious Atonement

"All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the
Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." -Isaiah 53:6

Here is a confession of sin common to all the elect people of God. They have all fallen,
and therefore, in common chorus, they all say, from the first who entered heaven to the last
who shall enter there, "All we like sheep have gone astray." The confession, while thus
unanimous, is also special and particular: "We have turned everyone to his own way."
There is a peculiar sinfulness about everyone of the individuals; all are sinful, but each one
with some special aggravation not found in his fellow. It is the mark of genuine repentance
that while it naturally associates itself with other penitents, it also takes up a position of
loneliness. "We have turned everyone to his own way", is a confession that each man had
sinned against light peculiar to himself, or sinned with an aggravation which he could not
perceive in others. his confession is unreserved; there is not a word to detract from its
force, nor syllable by way of excuse. The confession is a giving up of all pleas of
self-righteousness. It is the declaration of men who are consciously guilty - guilty with
aggravations, guilty without excuse: they stand with their weapons of rebellion broken in
pieces, and cry, "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own
way." yet we hear no dolorous wailings attending this confession of sin; for the next
sentence makes it almost a song. "The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." It is the
most grievous sentence of the three, but it overflows with comfort. Strange is it that where
misery was concentrated mercy reigned; where sorrow reached her climax weary souls
find rest. The Saviour bruised is the healing of bruised hearts. See how the lowliest
penitence gives place to assured confidence through simply gazing at Christ on the cross!
-Spurgeon's "Morning and Evening" April 3 - Evening

I Sinned. and straightway posthaste, Satan flew before the presence of the Most High
God, And made a railing accusation there. He said, "This soul, this thing of clay and sod,
has sinned. 'Tis true that he has named Thy name, But I demand his death, for Thou hast
said, 'The soul that sinneth, it shall die.' Shall not Thy sentence be fulfilled? Is Justice
dead? Send now this wretched sinner to his doom. What other thing can righteous Ruler
do?" And thus he did accuse me day and night, And every word he spoke, O God, was
true! Then quickly One rose up from God's right hand, Before whose Glory angels veiled
their eyes. He spoke, "Each jot and tittle of the Law Must be fulfilled; the guilty sinner
dies! But wait - suppose his guilt were all transferred. Behold My hands, My side, My feet!
One day I was made sin for him, and died that he might be presented faultless, at Thy
throne!" And Satan fled away. Full well he knew that he could not prevail against such
love, For every word my dear Lord spoke was true! -Martha Snell Nicholson