2 Corinthians 5:21, "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."

He comes now beseeching us, sinners who deserve the condemnation of God, "For he hath made him to be sin, who knew no sin." He comes pleading the purchase price He paid "...that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."

He is pleading His own love to us as the basis for our becoming reconciled unto God! Oh beloved, this is the basis upon which He is pleading, beseeching us, that our rebellion might become broken; that our hearts might become reconciled to His will. "Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?" ROM 2:4.

It is through the blood of Christ, which He shed while we were still enemies, that we are brought nigh unto God. This turns on a precious light. It was while we were still enemies that He shed His blood whereby we are brought nigh unto God.

In EPH 2:13 we read, "But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ." You who were sometimes far off means we were separated by that gulf of sin.

LUK 16:26 says, "And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence." There was no bridge; he could in no way cross over.

The rich man in hell saw such a gulf between him and Lazarus that he could not cross. That gulf is unpardoned sin.