Writers 
THE PRICE OF ATONEMENT
Before the cross,
There was a broken road,
A distance between man and God,
A debt no human strength could pay,
A wound caused by sin,
A heart lost in darkness,
And a world searching for mercy.
But love came down,
Not because we deserved it,
Not because we were perfect,
But because God loved us.
While we were still sinners,
Christ gave Himself for us,
And the cross became our hope.
He knew no sin,
Yet He carried our burden,
He took our place,
He bore what belonged to us,
And gave us what belonged to Him.
Our guilt met His grace,
Our shame met His righteousness.
He became the sacrifice,
The offering laid before God,
The Lamb who gave His life,
The innocent for the guilty,
The righteous for the sinful,
The holy for the broken,
The Son for the lost.
This was substitution,
He stood where we should stand,
He carried the punishment,
He accepted the burden,
He entered our darkness,
So we could walk in His light,
And live beneath His grace.
This was redemption,
A price was paid,
A captive was released,
A sinner was given hope,
A broken life was restored,
A lost soul was brought home,
And chains were replaced with freedom.
His blood spoke mercy,
His sacrifice spoke love,
His cross spoke forgiveness,
His resurrection spoke victory,
And heaven opened its arms
To those who believe.
He became our propitiation,
The sacrifice that satisfies,
The answer to our guilt,
The covering for our sin,
The place where justice met mercy,
The place where judgment met grace,
The place where love prevailed.
The debt had to be paid,
And Christ paid it completely.
His suffering was sufficient,
His sacrifice was enough,
Nothing could improve it,
Nothing could replace it,
Nothing could surpass His offering.
From the garden of sorrow
To the hill of the cross,
He remained faithful,
And when the work was finished,
The sacrifice stood complete,
The price had been paid,
And no other sacrifice was needed.
Then came reconciliation,
The broken relationship healed,
The distant heart brought near,
The enemy made a friend,
The sinner welcomed home,
The lost restored to God,
And peace began to speak.
What sin had separated,
Christ brought together.
What guilt had destroyed,
Grace rebuilt.
What condemnation had buried,
God's mercy raised.
What shame had silenced,
His love restored.
But mercy calls for a response,
Grace calls for surrender,
Forgiveness calls for repentance,
And love calls for obedience.
We cannot claim to know Him
And continue loving darkness.
We must walk in His footsteps.
If we confess our sins,
He is faithful to forgive.
If we forsake our wicked ways,
Mercy will meet us.
If we leave the old life,
We can embrace the new.
If we surrender our hearts,
Christ can change our steps.
The old nature must be removed,
The former ways must be abandoned,
The patterns of sin must lose their hold,
The mind must be renewed,
The heart must be transformed,
And the new life must begin.
For Christ did not save us
So we could return to bondage.
He did not cleanse us
So we could celebrate sin.
He did not forgive us
So we could reject holiness.
He called us into freedom,
And freedom must produce obedience.
Atonement brings forgiveness,
And forgiveness brings peace.
A peace deeper than explanation,
A peace stronger than fear,
A peace that settles the heart,
A peace that reminds us
That we belong to God.
The wrath we deserved
Was turned away through Christ.
Our condemnation was answered
By divine justification.
Our guilty record was met
By the grace of God,
And mercy became our testimony.
There is now assurance,
There is now confidence,
There is now hope,
There is now no condemnation
For those who are in Christ.
The past may speak loudly,
But grace speaks louder.
We were bought with a price,
Not silver,
Not gold,
Not human achievement,
But through the precious sacrifice
Of Jesus Christ,
Who gave Himself for us.
His blood purchased redemption,
His death opened reconciliation,
His resurrection gave us hope,
His righteousness became our covering,
His grace became our strength,
His love became our foundation,
And His presence became our home.
So I will not take grace lightly,
I will remember the cross,
I will remember the sacrifice,
I will remember the price,
I will remember the mercy,
I will remember the love,
And I will remember who saved me.
I will walk as Jesus walked,
With compassion in my heart,
With truth upon my lips,
With forgiveness in my hands,
With holiness in my choices,
With love toward others,
And obedience toward God.
When temptation calls,
I will remember the cross.
When guilt returns,
I will remember grace.
When fear surrounds me,
I will remember redemption.
When I feel unworthy,
I will remember His righteousness.
When I feel far away,
I will remember reconciliation.
For I am not saved by my perfection,
I am saved by His mercy.
I am not justified by my strength,
I am justified by His grace.
I am not redeemed by my works,
I am redeemed by His sacrifice.
I am not cleansed by myself,
I am cleansed through Christ.
So let my life become gratitude,
Let my choices honour the cross,
Let my words reflect His love,
Let my actions reveal His grace,
Let my heart remain surrendered,
Let my feet follow His path,
And let my life tell His story.
The cross was not ordinary,
The sacrifice was not small,
The price was not cheap,
The love was not temporary,
The grace was not empty,
The forgiveness was not meaningless,
And salvation must never be taken for granted.
Jesus became our sacrifice,
Jesus became our substitute,
Jesus became our redemption,
Jesus became our propitiation,
Jesus satisfied the debt,
Jesus restored our relationship,
And Jesus gave us righteousness.
Because of Him,
The condemned can receive mercy,
The guilty can receive forgiveness,
The broken can receive healing,
The distant can come near,
The hopeless can find hope,
And the sinner can become new.
So today I stand amazed,
Not because I am perfect,
But because He is faithful.
Not because I deserve salvation,
But because He chose mercy.
Not because I earned righteousness,
But because Christ gave Himself.
Let the cross remain before me,
Let the sacrifice remain in my heart,
Let repentance remain on my lips,
Let obedience remain in my steps,
Let righteousness shape my life,
Let love guide my actions,
And let Christ remain my example.
For atonement is more than forgiveness,
It is restoration.
It is more than escaping judgment,
It is becoming reconciled.
It is more than receiving mercy,
It is learning to walk in grace.
It is more than being saved,
It is living for the One who saved us.
The price was paid,
The debt was answered,
The door was opened,
The sinner was invited,
The broken relationship was restored,
The condemnation was removed,
And grace became our new beginning.
Therefore, I will remember.
I will believe.
I will repent.
I will obey.
I will love.
I will forgive.
I will walk with Christ.
Because the cross changed everything,
The sacrifice changed everything,
The blood changed everything,
Grace changed everything,
And Jesus changed everything.
May my life honour His sacrifice,
May my heart treasure His mercy,
May my feet follow His example,
May my hands serve His purpose,
May my words proclaim His goodness,
May my choices reflect His righteousness,
And may my life never forget
The price of atonement.
