God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world” (Galatians 6:14).

“For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. . . . For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: but we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18, 22–24).

“I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2, RSV).

Why was the sacrifice of Christ on Calvary so essential for the life and work of Paul and why is it so vital for our salvation today?

Without the death of Christ on the cross, there would be no salvation at all. Why not?

When we consider the New Covenant, the Covenant of Grace, we understand that even though this covenant was an everlasting covenant, it is called the New Covenant because its validity depended on the sacrifice of Christ on Calvary.

God couldn't forgive sinners at the expense of His justice. Sin must be punished with eternal death. Since the broken law of God is an eternal law, only the Creator could pay the price of its transgression. It is true that grace started working on the same day man disobeyed the Lord, because Christ offered Himself to pay the penalty for sin on the same day. But the assurance of grace depended on His victory on the cross.

“Adam listened to the words of the tempter, and yielding to his insinuations, fell into sin. Why was not the death penalty at once enforced in his case?—Because a ransom was found. God's only begotten Son volunteered to take the sin of man upon Himself, and to make an atonement for the fallen race. There could have been no pardon for sin had this atonement not been made. Had God pardoned Adam's sin without an atonement, sin would have been immortalized, and would have been perpetuated with a boldness that would have been without restraint.” 1

God couldn't just say: “You are forgiven. Let's simply forget everything!” Only the sacrifice of One who was perfectly just, and whose authority was above any law, could expiate sin by being able to forgive the transgression.

“The instant man accepted the temptations of Satan, and did the very things God had said he should not do, Christ, the Son of God, stood between the living and the dead, saying, Let the punishment fall on Me. I will stand in man's place. He shall have another chance.'

“As soon as there was sin, there was a Saviour. Christ knew that He would have to suffer, yet He became man's substitute. As soon as Adam sinned, the Son of God presented Himself as surety for humanity, with just as much power to avert the doom pronounced upon the guilty as when He died upon the cross of Calvary.” 2

Only by developing a perfect character in full harmony with the principles of God's holy law, and dying for guilty man, could Christ save the repented sinner from eternal death. And this Christ did. During His whole life on earth, He formed a spotless and perfect character. Besides that, since man had transgressed the law, someone else must die in his stead so that the eternal debt with the law could be paid.

When Adam and Eve disobeyed the word of God, sadness filled the heavenly environment. Angels ceased singing and all the musical instruments stopped sounding. Then the heavenly “Trio” met together to implement the plan of salvation. After that solemn meeting, Christ invited the whole heavenly host to unveil to them the devised plan for the restoration of humanity. Christ explained to the inhabitants of heaven that He would take man's place, live a life of sacrifice and self-denial, and finally die a terrible death of a criminal.

The angels became deeply sad, and offered themselves to die in man's instead. However, Christ explained to them that only a Creator could redeem the transgression of an eternal law. The life of a creature would never be sufficient to expiate sin. If the death of a pure, holy angel couldn't expiate man's transgression, how could a sinful man's works expiate his sins? That is the main reason that we are saved solely by grace. The best that faithful humanity can do is defiled and contaminated by our sinful condition. Our only hope for eternal salvation depends upon the perfect righteousness of Christ, which includes His perfect life and His atoning sacrifice on Calvary.

“The highest angel in heaven had not the power to pay the ransom for one lost soul. Cherubim and seraphim have only the glory with which they are endowed by the Creator as His creatures, and the reconciliation of man to God could be accomplished only through a mediator who was equal with God, possessed of attributes that would dignify, and declare him worthy to treat with the infinite God in man's behalf, and also represent God to a fallen world. Man's substitute and surety must have man's nature, a connection with the human family whom he was to represent, and, as God's ambassador, he must partake of the divine nature, have a connection with the Infinite, in order to manifest God to the world, and be a mediator between God and man.

“These qualifications were found alone in Christ. Clothing His divinity with humanity, He came to earth to be called the Son of man and the Son of God. He was the surety for man, the ambassador for God—the surety for man to satisfy by His righteousness in man's behalf the demands of the law, and the representative of God to make manifest His character to a fallen race.” 3

Our mind is too limited to understand fully the tremendous sacrifice that Christ went through during those terrible hours on the cross, when He felt deeply the separation between Him and the Father. As a matter of fact, only those who will be eternally lost will feel something that Christ felt during those agonizing hours. But grace could be bestowed upon guilty humanity only by having Christ fully satisfy the measure of God's justice.

Even if Christ had lived an absolutely perfect life and decided to return to Heaven without dying for humanity, there would be no grace for the sinners. Then the sacrifice of Christ consummated on Calvary became a true source of grace for the entire race.

It is this grace that is offered to all who desire salvation. Christ's work for sinners in the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary provides mercy and grace for all who are seriously interested in their own salvation.

“We must center our hopes of heaven upon Christ alone, because He is our Substitute and Surety. We have transgressed the law of God, and by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified. The best efforts that man in his own strength can make are valueless to meet the holy and just law that he has transgressed; but through faith in Christ he may claim the righteousness of the Son of God as all-sufficient. Christ satisfied the demands of the law in His human nature. He bore the curse of the law for the sinner, made an atonement for him, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life' (John 3:16). Genuine faith appropriates the righteousness of Christ, and the sinner is made an overcomer with Christ; for he is made a partaker of the divine nature, and thus divinity and humanity are combined.” 4

“In the prophecy of Daniel it was recorded of Christ that He shall make reconciliation for iniquity, and . . . bring in everlasting righteousness' (Daniel 9:24). Every soul may say: “By His perfect obedience He has satisfied the claims of the law, and my only hope is found in looking to Him as my substitute and surety, who obeyed the law perfectly for me. By faith in His merits I am free from the condemnation of the law. He clothes me with His righteousness, which answers all the demands of the law. I am complete in Him who brings in everlasting righteousness. He presents me to God in the spotless garment of which no thread was woven by any human agent. All is of Christ, and all the glory, honor, and majesty are to be given to the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world.

“Many think that they must wait for a special impulse in order that they may come to Christ; but it is necessary only to come in sincerity of purpose, deciding to accept the offers of mercy and grace that have been extended to us. We are to say: Christ died to save me. The Lord's desire is that I should be saved, and I will come to Jesus just as I am without delay. I will venture upon the promise. As Christ draws me, I will respond.' The apostle says, With the heart man believeth unto righteousness' (Romans 10:10). No one can believe with the heart unto righteousness, and obtain justification by faith, while continuing the practice of those things which the Word of God forbids, or while neglecting any known duty.” 5

The inspired words of Paul to the Hebrew Christians are very appropriate for us today: “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:14–16).

“How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation”? (Hebrews 2:3).