“Behold, it was for my welfare that I had great bitterness; but in love You have delivered my life from the pit of destruction, for You have cast all my sins behind Your back.”

— Isaiah 38:17

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

— Romans 6:23

“13 For it is God who works in you to will and to act on behalf of His good purpose.

15 so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine as lights in the world”

— Philippians 2:13, 15

“13 He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of His beloved Son,

14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

–Colossians 1:13-14

Thoughts on Today’s Reading

Grace and joy from Jesus Christ to you.

We did not realize we needed Jesus’ salvation. We enter the world as sinners deserving death. Jesus, our only hope, died in our place. As we are born again through faith in Jesus Christ, we receive God’s gift of salvation. The sins for which Jesus died will never rise to accuse or haunt us again.

Salvation in Christ brings freedom from sin’s penalty, power, and presence. Sin results in death, physical death and spiritual death—eternal condemnation by God and separation from Him. Through His death on the cross, Jesus bore sin’s death penalty for all who place their faith in Him. Salvation from sin’s power describes the present dimension of salvation. The Holy Spirit works within us to recognize and overcome sin in daily life. This gradual victory over sin’s power will not be complete until we are glorified. Although we still struggle on earth with sin’s pull and power, we all anticipate a future day when Jesus ushers in a new creation and we will be forever delivered from sin’s presence.