A substitute is someone who takes the place of or acts instead of another. In education, substitute teachers stand before a class that is usually taught by someone else. In the game of baseball, a substitute hitter or runner is commonly used to take the place of another player. Even the president of the United States, if undergoing a surgical procedure, appoints the vice president as his substitute and gives him the full authority of the presidency.

What is true in the classroom, sports, and politics is also true in our relationship with the living God. We, as sinners, need someone to take our place and act in our stead. Otherwise, we cannot stand before the holy, righteous, and glorious Lord. Today, we shall meet our substitute, the one who “Himself bore our sins in His body” (1 Peter 2:24), who “though He was rich, yet for [our] sake[s], He became poor” (2 Corinthians 8:9).

Romans 3:9–31

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