God Saves Us From Himself

Moved only by his own character, God sent his only Son into the world to save sinners from the judgment they deserve. At the end of the day, it was not the Jews who crucified Jesus or even the Romans. It was not even we who put him there, although it was because of our sin and guilt that he hung in derision. Ultimately, God crucified Jesus. “Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,” not because God is sadistic, but because of his great love for those who would be rescued by this selfless act, “and though the Lord makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand. After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied” (Is 53:10-11). Although Jesus freely gave his life up to the Father as a sacrifice that he was not forced to give, it was a death penalty that God executed as the just judge of the universe. Turning his eyes from the mutilated body of his Son, now carrying the sins of us all, the Father abandoned Jesus Christ so that he would never have to abandon us in our deepest trial or most heinous sin. God saved us from himself in order to save us for himself forever.

– Michael Horton, Saved From God, Modern Reformation, March/April 1996

(HT:  Joe Thorn)

I remember John Piper saying this many years ago in a sermon on Romans (can't find the link), "God gives to us (righteousness), what he demands from us (righteousness), in order to save us from himself (wrath of God)."