22 And this righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no distinction,

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

— Romans 3:22-23

10 The death He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life He lives, He lives to God.

11 So you too must count yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

— Romans 6:10-11

6 For at just the right time, while we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.

8 But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

9 Therefore, since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from wrath through Him!

10 For if, when we were enemies of God, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life!

— Romans 5:6, 8-10

Thoughts on Today’s Reading

Grace, salvation and joy from Jesus Christ to you.

What can bring us the freedom from sin’s penalty, power, and presence? Can salvation liberate us? Salvation means being delivered from danger, distress, or destruction. Every person ever born enters a world corrupted by sin and personally faces the dire consequences of their own sinfulness. Without God’s gracious intervention, everyone awaits God’s rightful judgment and death with our hope. Through the sacrifice of His sinless Son, God made a way for sinners to be saved from the eternal consequences of their rebellions against God. Believers flourish as they are also reconnected to God and His people.

Salvation in Christ liberates sinners from sin’s penalty and power. Jesus’s death on the cross pays sin’s penalty on behalf of all who trust in Him for salvation. The Holy Spirit empowers believers to overcome sinful thoughts, desires, and actions. While on earth, believers still struggle with sin but can triumph over sin’s impulses through the Holy Spirit’s power. And one day, Jesus Christ will return and take His children to their eternal home, saving them from sin’s presence forever. The events described in Revelation remind us that believers’ salvation rests securely in the person and work of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God. Amen!