Christianity is built on the fact that God is Just. Sin has consequences; sin has a price. Punishment follows disobedience; the price must be paid. BUT God is Love. God loves like we have never been loved, in ways we cannot fathom, in measures that cannot be measured. THEREFORE God is Merciful. Because he is just He cannot suspend the price that must be paid for sin. Because God is love He paid that price himself.
His Love sent his Son to pay for our laziness, selfishness, false piety, greed, impatience, impurity, and all the other unloving things we do. The punishment for sin fell on the shoulders of God’s own son. Jesus atones because we cannot. Jesus’ blood is the fulfillment of law on our behalf for sins he did not commit but took as his own so that we might have eternal life. We do not, can not, fully understand the heavenly sacrifice in our stead. We cannot understand a God who would send his Son as the fulfillment of His own law. We cannot understand the immeasurable love with which God sent his Son. We will never be able to fully appreciate it until we see him face to face.
