In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. (Colossians 1:14)
This remarkable statement comes in the midst of a prayer Paul prayed for the Christians in the ancient city of Colosse. The whom referred to in Colossians 1:14 is Jesus Christ. It is in Jesus that we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.
First, notice what we have redemption. The ancient word the Apostle Paul used has the idea of release by a legal ransom. We were held as slaves and needed to be set free. We really could do nothing to free ourselves, but Jesus came and brought us redemption. He didn’t free us by force, though He could have. Instead, Jesus freed us by satisfying the chains of guilt under the law that kept us bound as slaves.
Those chains of guilt were taken away through His blood. Please note that.
– We aren’t redeemed through the teaching of Jesus, as brilliant and true as it was.
– We aren’t redeemed through the miracles of Jesus, as powerful and amazing as they were.
– We aren’t redeemed through the example of Jesus, as perfect as it was.
– We are only redeemed through His blood—His death on the cross, as a sacrifice for sins and as a substitute for guilty sinners.
This was the only way the rescue could be according to the law of God. Since the sacrificial death of Jesus was real, the redemption is real. It is true: through His work on the cross (through His blood), we have the forgiveness of sins. Our sin and guilt is sent away because of what Jesus did on the cross for us.
To be honest, the greatness of this forgiveness of sins is lost on many people today. This is mostly because they think very little of their sins. If our sense of sin is small then what Jesus did to win our forgiveness will also seem small.
But our sins are not small, and something inside us knows it. We seem afraid to take a quiet moment to think about who we are and how we stand before God. We distract ourselves with a constant stream of entertainment and excitement. We medicate our guilt with alcohol, drugs, and romance. Deep inside we know that we are great sinners who need great forgiveness.
Fortunately, in Jesus Christ we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. Stop trusting in anyone or anything else, especially your self. Put your trust in Him and what He did for you on the cross. And, when the guilt once against tries to bind you, answer: “I know I am a great sinner, but Jesus is an even greater Savior.”
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David’s weekly devotional is also translated into German.
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