Daily devotion – The wonder of redemption.
Redemption means being freed from sin’s power so it no longer rules over us.
Forgiveness means having God wipe the slate clean.
The Bible goes out of its way to magnify the wonder of this forgiveness.
King David wrote, “[God] forgives all my sins” (Psalm 103:3).
The prophet Jeremiah, speaking on behalf of God, said, “For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more” (Jeremiah 31:34).
The Apostle John the Apostle wrote, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
The word forgive carries the idea of “to carry away.” It reminds us of the ritual on the Day of Atonement described in the book of Leviticus, when the high priest sent the scapegoat into the wilderness, symbolically bearing the sins of the people far away.
This is the grace of God toward us today.
Our sins are not merely covered.
They are carried away.
They are remembered no more.
And because of Christ, we stand not only redeemed from sin’s power, but fully forgiven before God.
Today, rest in this truth:
You are not who you were.
Your debt is paid.
Your record is cleared.
Your sins are carried away.
Walk in the freedom Christ has given you.