December 28 I Saturday

Zechariah 5-8

Revelation 19

“For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!”   —Romans 5:17

 

Jesus came to be the Saviour of this world but what did we need saving from? There are three things. Firstly, we need saving from the penalty of our sin. Paul writes in Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death…” It is important to note that Paul’s statement is in the present tense. It is not a future-tense statement because what Scripture tells us is that the wages—the penalty of sin––is death but it is something that is already in effect and we are recipients of it. Paul tells us, “For as in Adam all die…” (1 Corinthians 15:22). We are born spiritually dead and separated from God. Even though we are physically, socially and actively alive, the wages of sin renders us in a state of being spiritually dead. Like a car without gas in the tank, it will not go far, because the gas is the Spirit of God Himself. This is why Jesus tells us, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10, NKJV). In Christ, we are born again spiritually into a new life as John elaborates, “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 John 5:12).

Secondly, we need saving from the presence of sin. Some of us may have been a Christian for years but we still have a sin problem. Paul writes, “For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh” (Galatians 5:17). There is an internal civil war going on within our life and will last throughout our lifetime. But there is going to come a day, at the return of Christ, when we will be liberated from the presence of sin.

Thirdly, we need saving from the power of our own sin that is at work within all of us. We are saved from the power of sin not because we have become sinless in this life but because we have new appetites, as Paul says: “…for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfil his good purpose” (Philippians 2:13). When we believe in Christ and He comes to indwell us, He implants new appetites. One of the ways we know somebody has received a new life is simple––they have new appetites.

With Christ Jesus as our Saviour from the penalty, presence and power of sin, may we hunger and thirst with a new appetite for righteousness.

 

Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, thank You for saving me from the penalty, presence and power of sin in my life. Give me a new appetite that hungers and thirsts for your righteousness. Praise You!


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