The Righteous One

But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was crushed for our wickedness [our sin, our injustice, our wrongdoing]; The punishment [required] for our well-being fell on Him, And by His stripes (wounds) we are healed.

Isaiah 53:5 (AMP)

Frank Sinatra popularized a song called "I Did It My Way" many years ago. The song's lyrics may sound good, and it may appear that everyone should follow that approach. It makes us feel proud to have done things our way. However, if we refer to the Scriptures, we will find that this approach is the actual problem rather than the solution. When it comes to our salvation, which includes our well-being, doing things our way is the wrong way!

The way to remedy every wound in our soul is through Jesus. When people saw Christ hanging on the cross, they assumed that He must have done something terrible for God to punish Him in such a way. But they were mistaken. Christ was suffering on the cross for our sake. It takes humility to acknowledge that it was our sins that God laid on Christ. Jesus compassionately took the punishment that we deserved. Jesus alone is the righteous One who, on the cross, tasted death for every human being so we could share in His righteousness.

Our sin wounded Jesus. We wound others, and others wound us. We can never do anything that will make up for that fact. When we try very hard to be good, we all fail. What we must do is put our faith in Jesus and trust that He paid it all for us. Look to the cross and believe that in Christ you too are righteous. Because the Lord is our righteousness, we have peace that overflows into joy. Once we believe this with all our heart, we will come to know the incredible love He has for all of us, including those who have traumatized us.

To hold a grudge against those who have oppressed us is not the way to experience restoration. Release yourself from everyone who has harmed you. Ask the Lord to heal you of every cruelty in your life. Have faith in the righteous One who, on the cross, experienced the darkest trauma for our healing. This is how the Lord frees us from all kinds of things. Addictions, confusion, rejection, and isolation are just a few of the habits that enslave us. What power the cross holds for us. We are no longer slaves to sin. We are the children of God!