Skip to main content

Daily Devotion: Colossians 1:12-14

By

Colossians 1:12-14    "Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:  (13)  Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:  (14)  In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins"  

In Romans 5:11, Paul reminds us that we "joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement." We have been reconciled back to our Heavenly Father through Christ Jesus.

I want us to think about the word atonement for a few moments. If I counted correctly, the word is mentioned 80 times in the Old Testament and only once in the New Testament. Most of that 80 times is in the book of Leviticus where the law  and instructions were given to the priests for making the sacrificial offerings unto God. That which I find interesting is in the meanings for the word in the different Testaments.  The word, atonement, in the Old Testament means "to cover". The book of Hebrews, chapter 10 and verse one tells us, "those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually (can never) make the comers thereunto perfect."  Covering something does not change nor remove. Under the law, the sins were not removed by those animal sacrifices; rather, they served to remind the people of their sins.   The word, atonement, in the New Testament means to exchange. Why would it be important to know the difference between the two words used and their application?  That work of redemption which we remember today served to remove our sins and exchange the righteousness of Christ in its place.

Jesus' blood did not cover our sins; rather, His blood washed our sins away and we were given His righteousness instead. We are now the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. Take time today to give thanks and honor unto our Lord for the glorious work of redemption by which we have been atoned.

Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

Daily Devotion: Enter With Thanksgiving - Psalm 100:1-5

By
One of the most beautiful Psalms of Thanksgiving is the 100th Psalm. Please turn to it and read verses one through five. With all my heart I believe we are a people and a nation that has truly been blessed by God. Of all those who “give thanks to Him and praise His name” we should be at the top!  It is not uncommon to compile wish lists at Christmas, and draw up a list of resolutions for the new year. But there is another list we often overlook - a Thanksgiving Day list of all for which we are thankful. What would your list contain? Most likely, a good part would be material possessions. I’m convinced that we would find that we have much more for which to be thankful than just our material possessions.  Like you, I’m sure my list would include the major things - life, health, family, friends, and the nation we live in, despite all its flaws. But even more than that, I’m thankful for my salvation, my Church family, and the mercy that God showers upon us each d...
Read more

Daily Devotion: An Important Question

By
In one of the great Psalms of thanksgiving, the writer asked a most pertinent question. “What shall I render unto the Lord for all of His benefits toward me” (Psalm 116:12) ? We may observe two elements in this question. The psalmist acknowledges having received many benefits, or blessings, at the hand of the Lord. For the believer, to be the receiver of blessings from the Lord is a fact beyond question. That is one facet of a proper perception of reality. However, for the unbeliever, or even for the nominal believer, such things come in the course of nature, or as a matter of deserving them. But to fail to see that such benefits and blessings come from the Lord is to lose touch with reality. The other element of the question is that the writer expresses a sense of obligation to the Lord and reveals a desire to do something in response to the amazing goodness of God to him. It is the reflex of the godly heart to desire to do something in response to the perceived go...
Read more