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This is where knowing The Bible comes in. KNOWING who Jesus IS, WHAT HE came to the earth for.

If you were convicted of a crime and the penalty of that crime was HUGE. Your best friend comes along and pays that penalty out of his own pocket, would you consider your best friend a ‘victim’? Or did he make a personal sacrifice on your behalf simply because he loved you and wanted to be with you forever (and not thrown in jail forever).

Would you go around and say the courts state ‘my best friend is the victim now because he took my place and paid all the charges involved’?

There is no victim hood here and the court says everything has been expunged from your record - it’s as if you never committed the crime. And your friend ‘paid the price’ - he’s the one who sacrificed for your release. It’s doesn’t make him a victim but, truly your best friend.

After this happened, can you see yourself wanting to shout to everyone about this ‘good news’ - nearly too good to be true news?

Or would you open up the cell gate and say, ‘nope, I’m must pay some penalty, for surely I am guilty’? In the eyes of the court, you are not. Only in your own understanding - that you must pay somehow. And now your best friend’s sacrifice is null and void. I hardly doubt you would do that to your best friend - where you would allow ‘what you think’ to override when he has already done. And, of course, you know Who your best friend is.

If you were convicted of a crime and the penalty of that crime was HUGE. Your best friend comes along and pays that penalty out of his own pocket, would you consider your best friend a ‘victim’?

Not if my friend just paid a fine, but if in paying my penalty he ended up being hounded, tortured, and unjustly killed, then yes my friend would be a victim.

Would you go around and say the courts state ‘my best friend is the victim now because he took my place and paid all the charges involved’?

The analogy breaks down here. Christ is the Sacrificial Lamb. He is more than just a friend who paid a fine for me.

That is too cut and dry. Why would Paul say that a sinner can only be saved "as though through fire?"

It’s doesn’t make him a victim but, truly your best friend.

This ignores what actually happened leading up to and during the Passion. Christ was victimized by extremely evil men.

Or would you open up the cell gate and say, ‘nope, I’m must pay some penalty, for surely I am guilty’?

Of course not but we cannot define our own reality. I have to look at what biblical history says the Apostles thought Jesus and he Holy Spirit were telling them. Also, I have to look for consistency and linear logic that conforms to history. I do not think the truth is that hard to find if you stay focused on truth and not just on what you want to believe.

In the eyes of the court, you are not. Only in your own understanding - that you must pay somehow.

Not me. I want all the freebies I can get but I also know that the Devil is out laying snares. I must stick very close to the truth of my friend to avoid deception.

And now your best friend’s sacrifice is null and void. I hardly doubt you would do that to your best friend - where you would allow ‘what you think’ to override when he has already done. And, of course, you know Who your best friend is.

My friend does not want to stop me from thinking. His sacrifice does not become null and void if I do think. He also knows the enemy is prowling about and wants me to use every means available to emerge victorious.