majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him in Galatians 1:3-5,
"Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,
who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age,
according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory for ever
and ever. Amen."
In Paul's greetings to the churches of Galatia, he declares that Jesus
Christ gave himself for our sins. At the last supper Jesus passed a
cup of wine for all of his disciples to partake of and said, "Drink
from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured
out for many for the forgiveness of sins." Matthew 26:27b-28. Jesus
Christ gave his life as a payment for all of my sin. All of the sins I
would ever commit. When Peter first took the gospel message to the
Gentiles, he told them, "All the prophets testify about him that
everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his
name." Acts 10:43. The payment of sins (and Jesus died for all the
sins of all mankind - a full and complete atonement) is applied to our
account with God, Peter tells us, when we believe in him, when we
trust in him. To me this is an amazing thing.
If that were not enough, the way Paul puts it in Galatians is that
when Jesus gave himself for our sins, he gave himself to rescue us
from "the present evil age". There is more to the sacrificial death of
Jesus Christ than judicial satisfaction (if that were not enough!) he
also rescues us from this world and its grip on us. Where we used to
be enslaved to sin, where we used to be held in the grip of "the god
of this age", 2 Corinthians 4:4, he rescued us from "the present evil
age".
Paul brings this out clearly in his letter to Titus, "For the grace of
God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to
say 'No' to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live
self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we
wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and
Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all
wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own,
eager to do what is good." Titus 2:11-14.
How wonderful is this?!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd
love to hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
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