To appear in the presence of God for us

'To appear in the presence of God for us'

— Hebrews 9:24

Everywhere in the Scriptures the work of the Lord Jesus Christ is set forth as the work of a Substitute, one who stands in the place of another.

Christ stood as our Substitute in eternity past, as our Surety in the everlasting covenant of grace (Heb. 7:22). Before we had ever sinned, he stood as our ransom. Before we ever broke God’s law, he stood as our righteousness. God the Father gave our souls, along with all the hosts of his elect, into the hands of Christ as the Surety of the covenant before the world began John 6:39; 2 Tim. 1:9).

Christ stood in our place as our federal Head and Representative as he lived in this world. The sinless life of Christ was as necessary for our redemption as his death. In his life, Christ fulfilled the holy law of God, establishing perfect righteousness for us, without which we could never be accepted before God. By his life, he brought in an everlasting righteousness for his people. His name is ‘the Lord our Righteousness’ (Jer. 23:6).

The Son of God stood in our place at Calvary. He died under the penalty of God’s law, bearing our sin, our shame, our guilt and the wrath due to us. He died in our place, so that we should never be required to die (Gal. 3:13; 2 Cor. 5:21).

Jesus Christ the righteous stands in our place today as our Advocate in heaven (I John 2:1-2). His five precious wounds, the merits of his righteousness and the merits of his blood effectually secure our present and eternal welfare. God will not charge us with sin and the law cannot require punishment upon us, because Christ, the risen Lord, our Substitute, stands today as our Advocate with the Father.

And the Lord Jesus Christ himself will stand in our place, as our Substitute before God, in the Day of Judgment (Heb. 2:13). When God examines us, he will behold no spot or blemish in us, because his own Son performed in our place perfect righteousness and obedience, and thoroughly washed away our sins. Trusting Christ as our Substitute, we may fully expect to hear him say to us, ‘Well done!'