June 20 I Saturday
Esther 1-2
Acts 5:1-21

“No longer will they teach their neighbours, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest. For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” —Hebrews 8:11-12

Once we become a Christian, we have a new righteousness; the law of God written on our hearts is created by a new relationship with Jesus Christ, which is the
result of a new redemption received in Christ. As we are promised, “I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”
This is the way in that leads to knowing and experiencing God. The knowledge and acceptance of God leads to forgiveness and cleansing. An effect of the gospel is the removal of our sin when it is acknowledged and confessed. Under the Old Covenant, sin was never removed, only covered until the day of Christ. Hebrews 10:1 says, “The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship.” These priestly duties performed year after year did not do away with sin, did not offer life, nor did it transform anyone’s life.
Under the New Covenant, sin is removed once for all who come in humble repentance to the cross of Christ. That is why Jesus could say from the cross, “It is finished.” His voice echoed back to previous centuries of men and women who brought the blood of bulls and goats and offerings. 1 Peter 1:18-19 tells us, “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” In other words, Christ is the real currency, and the Old Testament worshipers will be with us in heaven on the basis of the shed blood of Jesus Christ.
The whole work of Jesus Christ is encompassed in the New Covenant. The onus is off our shoulders. It is God who says, “I will, I will,” by the Spirit of Christ indwelling us. As we grow in our knowledge of Christ, our love for Him, trust in Him and obedience to His will, we are being increasingly conformed to His likeness. The obligation to make this work rests with God, but we are not in a passive mode. We allow Him to take us on this journey in which we experience Him through all our joys, tears, triumphs and struggles. We may personally come to know God because of a new righteousness that comes with a new relationship made possible by a new redemption of being forgiven forever and walking humbly with God.
Prayer: Lord, I am in awe of Your wisdom and unending love for us. Thank You for this plan of redemption and for the incredible gift of Your Son who makes that possible. Amen.


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