The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through
Jesus Christ our Lord. 

     On March 3, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) signed into law an act for "enrolling and calling out the National Forces." This draft required all men between the ages of 18 and 45 to enroll with local militia units and be ready for military service. If drafted, a draftee could buy his way out of the army by paying a fee of $300 or hire a substitute to serve in his place. Although not required to, because he was too old for the draft, President Lincoln hired John Summerfield Staples (1854-1888) to be his substitute for service in the Army.
     In 1st John 4:10 it says "God... loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." To propitiate means to satisfy the payment of a debt or obligation. Because of our sins, we owed a debt we could not pay. But, like Staples taking Lincoln's place, Jesus took our place on the cross of Calvary. There He paid our sin debt with His blood that "whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins" (Act 10:43) and have the gift of eternal life.