Jesus came to earth to work out the plan for our salvation. This daily devotional look how redemption, forgiveness, and grace work together.
Nuggets
- We confess Jesus as our Savior and Redeemer.
- Redemption and forgiveness all stem from God’s grace.
- God’s grace allows us access to His throne room.
Devotions in the Confessing Christ series
Let's Put It into Context #1
Here is a running list of nuggets for the series.
Let's Put It into Context #2
Confessing Christ is when we agree with the promise that Jesus is the Son of God, come to earth, to be the Savior of the world – just as He stated.
Christ’s Work
“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace” (Eph. 1: 7 CSB)
We confess Jesus as our Savior and Redeemer.
Have you ever noticed that the law does not really give us a way to make things right? Yes, it addresses consequences of our actions, but it does not address our spiritual condition.
Only Jesus blood could pay the penalty for our sins. We could not do that on our own because of our sinful nature. Jesus had a human nature but did not sin.
While redemption is offered to all, only if you will accept it. We accept it when we repent and believe.
We only get redemption when we confess Jesus as our Savior and Redeemer. Did you catch that? As our Redeemer, not just the Redeemer.
Redemption and forgiveness all stem from God’s grace.
A part of the redemption is forgiveness for our sins. God pardons us to restore a relationship with Him. As He is the one Who was sinned against, it is His call as to how those sins can be forgiven.
Sins are actions by humans that disobey God and break one of His reasonable, holy, and righteous laws and commandments, goes against a purpose He has for us, or follows Satan’s promptings.
- Holy means to be set apart — because of our devotion to God — to become perfect, and morally pure while possessing all virtues.
- Perfection means we reach a state of maturity because the combination of the spiritual graces form, when all are present, spiritual wholeness or completeness — holy, sanctified, and righteous.
- Spiritual graces are worldly morals that have been submitted to God to further His kingdom instead of enhancing this world.
- Sanctified means to be set free from sin.
- Pure means not being sinful or having the stain of sin.
- Virtues are standards of moral excellence.
- Perfection means we reach a state of maturity because the combination of the spiritual graces form, when all are present, spiritual wholeness or completeness — holy, sanctified, and righteous.
- Righteous means we are free from sin because we are following God’s moral laws.
Redemption is where God bestows His gift of grace on us in order to deliver us from sin.
Repentance is acknowledging our separation from God and expressing sorrow for breaking God’s laws and commandments by making the commitment to change our sinful ways to ways of righteousness through obedience.
- Obedience means submitting ourselves to the will of God as it is presented to us and living our lives accordingly.
Forgiveness is, when we ask, the act of God pardoning us because we have shown repentance for breaking His laws and commandments, which allows us to become holy as He is.
- Repentance is acknowledging our separation from God and expressing sorrow for breaking God’s laws and commandments by making the commitment to changing ourselves through obedience so that we no longer do the wrong things.
Grace is a free and unmerited gift of love from the Heavenly Father, given through His Son, Jesus Christ, that enables salvation and spiritual healing to believers by the work of the Holy Spirit.
Glossary
Redemption and forgiveness may seem to some the-chicken-and-the-egg deal. Which comes first?
The Essex Remembrancer believed that it is redemption. It is where the bonds of sin are broken to bring us deliverance.
That makes sense to me. What the Essex Remembrancer said about sin is true — it just doesn’t address which came first.
They said that forgiveness is complete and free. But that really doesn’t tell us why they think redemption comes first.
Resource
In my opinion, I think redemption comes first because the forgiveness is not an option until the bondage of sin is broken.
Remember, we said redemption is a gift of God’s grace. We have to accept that gift. Once we have, we can receive forgiveness.
God can’t forgive us until we have repented and gained redemption.
Ooo, baby. We don’t expect forgiveness in our hearts, do we? The worldview — and Satan — has us so programmed that there is no good in us that God can work with to fix us. But then again, they say, if we do turn to God, that He can’t keep us fixed because we continue to sin.
Spurgeon accused many of being nominal disciples. Nominal disciples are those boasting they loved God without even trying to imitate Him — those who dig on religion and its rituals without having a change in heart.
Resource
That is a big reason we are looking to get things to the heart level this year. The status of our heart depends on whether we have asked God to forgive us and have submitted our lives to Him.
Submitting to God is actions by humans that obey God and keep His reasonable, holy, and righteous laws and commandments, follow His purpose for us, and do not follow Satan’s promptings.
We have to ask forgiveness rather than think we have no need to ask. Then, we have to believe that Jesus can and will forgive us — even on our bad sins.
Why does God forgive us? He loves us. He will forgive us when we sincerely admit, believe, confess, and demonstrate.
The good thing is God will forgive us for every sin we sincerely confess. It may take some a lifetime to get to that confession, but God will still forgive us.
When we receive redemption through forgiveness, this occurs through God’s grace.
God’s grace allows us access to His throne room.
Because of God’s grace, we gain peace.
Making the Connections
Think of it this way. From what is Jesus redeeming us? Darkness, pain, slavery, chaos.
To what is Jesus redeeming us? Light, joy, freedom, order.
Some people think it isn’t worth it since we have to “give up our freedom” when we submit to God. That is the furthest from the truth.
When we follow God’s laws and commandments, we gain peace and contentment. That is worth it.
Burnet had an interesting sermon. He said that some feel that atonement happened because of the wrath of God.
Resource
Atonement is the repayment for a wrong by the shedding of Jesus’ blood. God’s wrath is the anger He expresses when we break His laws and commandments.
It is their belief that the atonement appeases God’s wrath. God can get that angry.
But then, God’s wrath is just punishment. We do earn it when we disobey God.
Jesus died for all people. He didn’t exclude anyone.
We exclude ourselves by choosing not to follow Christ.
What atonement is not is to allow us not to follow God’s laws and commandments. Jesus Himself told I, “Don’t think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or one stroke of a letter will pass away from the law until all things are accomplished” (Mt. 5: 17-18 CSB).
Neither did Jesus come to compromise with the worldview to lessen the laws and commandments. He expects all laws and commandments, even moral law to be obeyed.
How Do We Apply This?
The ABCDs of Salvation
If you have not become a believer in Christ, please read through the
Plan of Salvation and prayerfully consider what God is asking you to do.
A – admit our sins
B – believe His Son Jesus is our Redeemer
C – confess God as Sovereign Lord
D – demonstrate that commitment by making any changes needed in our lives to
live the way in which God has called us
The Disciple’s Job Description
Father God. We are humbled by the fact that Jesus worked for us. He gave His life so that we might be redeemed. Lord, forgive us our sins. Help us to grow in Your grace and knowledge. Amen.
What do you think?
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