GOD HAS FREED US - PART 4

MONDAY 05 JUNE 2023

God called our attention to Him even though Adam and Eve made an extraordinary mistake at the Garden of Eden. So it is such a powerful and eternal advantage that we have received from the Lord the fruit of His mercy, which is salvation in Christ Jesus. More below!

Reference: Colossians 1:13-14 New Century Version (NCV) "God has freed us from the power of darkness, and He brought us into the kingdom of His dear Son. The Son paid for our sins, and in Him we have forgiveness."

In part 3, I discussed the clause, "The Son paid for our sins", and for me, the meaning of this expression in this context is this: "I was willing to bear any trials for your sake; I did not shrink from any sufferings to the point of death" - Jesus!

The last versified sentence, "The Son paid for our sins, and in Him we have forgiveness," is not in the original expression - in our referenced Scripture, which implies that it is almost insufficiently conveyed by the NCV translator, considering the details. For instance, the NKJV reads, "In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins." More so, the AMP supplied the fullness of the ideal communication, and that is, "In whom we have redemption [because of His sacrifice, resulting in] the forgiveness of our sins [and the cancellation of sins' penalty]." Got it?

Based on NCV, "And in Him we have forgiveness," it is not a full persuasion, with regard to rendering the accurate knowledge because the word "sins" was not noted in the expression. So it is of paramount importance to specifically note that "sins" is what Christ dealt with, bearing in mind that there are things, other than sins, that could be forgiven. For instance, not having the right perspective about an idea could be forgiven, yet it's not a sin.

Gratefully, I was delivered from eternal damnation, on account of the severe sufferings it cost Jesus. May His name be exalted and honoured. When the going got tough at Gethsemane, Jesus said to Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, James and John: "My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me." He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, "My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine" (Matthew 26:38-39 NLT). Why didn't God respond to Jesus? He wanted Him to hang in there and go through the entire process of fulfilling His purpose for becoming flesh. And He would sustain Jesus in view of His approaching crucifixion, so that we could learn that God ministers sufficient grace to us in the surroundings of any challenging circumstance.

God was honoured in His afflictions, meaning that everything done on the cross of Calvary by Christ was to dignify God. Jesus, as a human, dwelt among humans and suffered humiliation and shameful death, not for Himself, but to glorify God in the salvation of men. That's why the next sentence reads, "And in Him we have forgiveness of sins." By the death, the resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ, God extended the blessings of the good news among all nations.

He wonderfully displayed His grace on the cross and demonstrated His sovereign power by raising Jesus Christ from the death, thereby providing and proclaiming His mercy to mankind through Him. Stay tuned for part 5, to find out more about His crucifixion on the horizon, based on this topic, and how God approved His finished work on the cross. Shalom!

Scripture Reading - John 1:12-13; Romans 1:16; John 3:16-18; Romans 6:23; John 14:6.

Exuberant Declaration: I am a chosen generation and holy nation, separated from the world and consecrated to God's service by virtue of my salvation in Christ. Hallelujah!