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Daily Devotion: Without Blemish - 1 Peter 1:19

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But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: – 1 Peter 1:19

Who can forgive your debts? Only the one who owns the debt can release you from it. Since God is the ultimate authority in the universe and beyond, only God can truly, ultimately forgive sin.

Following the events recorded in 2 Samuel 11, David wrote, “Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest” (Psalm 51:4). Even though David had done terrible wrongs to others, his sin was a reproach to God, the Creator and Lawgiver. Thus in the New Testament, the religious leaders were upset that Jesus of Nazareth forgave sins not realizing that Jesus is the Son of God.

Not only could Jesus forgive sins with the authority of the Godhead (Colossians 2:9). He was born to save His people from their sins, and He provided the sacrifice required to make things right with God the Father. He already knew He was going to pay the penalty for the sins He forgave. His righteousness overwhelmed the sins of His flock.

When next you see a manger scene, think about the innocence of the Christ-child. From humble birth to tortuous death, Jesus Christ was holy and righteous as a lamb without blemish. Praise be to the Lamb of God!

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