This weekend while I was playing “Words With Friends,” I was trying to use up my last few letters. I found a place I could fit a few remaining tiles in and spell “rot.” Then I realized I could substitute the “r” for a “j” and get a lot more points, solidifying a win! That one small substitution changed the game. It went for being a nail bitter, to me handily winning. Substituting that one point tile for a ten point tile on a triple point space made all the difference.

Some friends and family came over on Friday night. I cooked some food. I didn’t know how many people were going to eat, so I decided to cook a lot of potatoes. My thought was they are filling, and I had plenty. I also knew they would be easy to use for other meals if I had leftovers.

I decided I wanted fried potatoes. I began chopping the onion and pulled out some oil to fry it in. I started to cut up the potatoes. Then I remembered that I had a can of bacon grease in the fridge. I put the oil away and fried everything in bacon grease. Bacon grease was not the healthiest substitution, but it was a delicious one. I received many compliments on the potatoes, and I had very few leftovers.

So what have I learned from this? A good substitution can be the difference between winning and losing. It can also be the difference between good and great. And thinking about it, the right substitution can be the difference between life and death.

“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” (Romans 3:23–26, ESV)

At one point many years ago, I learned that Jesus had died on the cross. I learned that He did this because I had sinned and owed a debt to God that I could not repay. The sin I had committed against a Holy God required the death penalty. Tis penalty was an eternal death, separated from all the goodness that is embodied in the character of God.

I also learned of Jesus substitutionary atonement. Simply stated, that means that Jesus had died in my place. This substitution paid the debt I owed. I found that although it is hard to believe, it truly is that simple. God loved me so much that He Himself, came to become the sacrifice, the substitute for me. All I am required to do is believe. It is easy. It is as easy as switching a “j” for an “r”, or using bacon grease instead of oil.

The substitution of Jesus for me proves that God is just, but also that God is love. What does that mean for me? It means that I am a winner. That one change, trusting Jesus, changed the game. I am an eternal winner.

The substitution of Jesus also means that my life has added flavor. He came so I could have eternal life, but he also came so I could enjoy this life abundantly (John 10:10). People may look at my life and think it looks similar to everyone else’s, but this simple substation adds something special. Until it is tasted, people can’t understand. Once it is tasted, you will never again be content with the blandness of the old way.

Just wanted you to know that this free substitution is available to you too! For more information about Jesus free gift of salvation, you can contact me. I would also recommend a wonderful video by Pastor Rick Warren. You can find it at http://rickwarren.org/know-god