Remember when the policeman stopped you and asked to see your driver's license? You knew you had just made an illegal turn. You were nervous— and repentant. He was very polite; but you still ended up with a little yellow ticket. You had to report to the police station within three days.
It was a ten dollar fine—normal penalty for such an offense.
Suppose you say to the officials: "I'm short of money this month. Tell you what I'll do. I'll attend church every morning and evening for the next two months."
"Well, that's a wonderful idea, sir, “they would say. "But that's not the penalty."
"O.K. I'll try to be a better husband than ever before. I'll take special care of my children."
The answer would likely be: "You're a fine man. There is always need for improving family relationships. But the penalty is ten dollars."
There's only one thing that would satisfy them: the ten dollars. That was the penalty. The good life, church attendance will not satisfy. Either you or someone else must pay your debt to the law.
God says the penalty for sin is death. Every other solution is no payment. Either you must pay it or someone must step up and pay it for you.
And that's precisely what has happened. "The proof of God's amazing love is this: that it was "while we were yet sinners that Christ died for us." (Rom. 5: 8).