Forsaken by God

"About the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me" (Matthew 27:46).

If you want to know what God really thinks about sin and what He intends to do about it, look at Jesus rejected on the cross and listen to Jesus forsaken on the cross. That is what sin deserves: the wrath and curse of God. That is what sinners deserve: to be put to death and judged for their sins. That strikes fear into the hearts of those of us who are sinners. At least it ought to. If God was willing to forsake His own Son for the sins of others, should He not also forsake you for your sins?

The forsaking of the Son of God on the cross is a fearful thing, but it is good news for sinners who repent. It is good news because it means that God's children will never be forsaken. God will forsake sinners, but He will not forsake you if you will come and meet Jesus Christ at the cross. God will not forsake you if you accept Christ's sacrifice for your sins, taking your sins and placing them on Jesus' shoulders by faith.

—Condensed from The Heart of the Cross by Philip Graham Ryken. Copyright (c) 1999 by James Montgomery Boice and Philip Graham Ryken.

Dear believer, have you been tempted by Satan to believe that God has forgotten you? Oh, look up! His eyes never lose sight of you. "He hath said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." —H.A. Ironside