During Holy Week I shared some short devotionals with our church on some of the truths of what the death & resurrection of Jesus accomplish for those who trust in Him. As they are always relevant I thought I’d share them with you this week. All the prayers are taken from Fount of Heaven.

Monday: Forgiveness for sins
Tuesday: Freedom from sin
Wednesday: Peace with God
Thursday: Living Hope
Friday: No condemnation & one who intercedes

Romans 8:1-4 says,

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For in Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful man, as an offering for sin. He thus condemned sin in the flesh, so that the righteous standard of the law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

There is one who could condemn us. The one who perfectly fulfilled the law, the one who knew no sin, the one sent from God. He could cast the first stone at us because we have broken the law, been unfaithful to God. Yet the who could condemn us, Jesus Christ, is instead the one who died for us and is right now seated at God’s right hand, interceding for His people. That means as the old English preacher JC Ryle said,

Christ is a perpetual and unwearied Saviour. He ‘taketh away’ sin. He is daily taking it away from every one that believes on him, daily purging, daily cleansing, daily washing the souls of his people, daily granting and applying fresh supplies of mercy. He did not cease to work for his saints, when he died for them on the cross. He lives in heaven as a priest, to present his sacrifice continually before God. In grace as well as in providence, Christ worketh still. He is ever taking away sin.

So today we have a priest who says to His Father, they belong to me, their sins are forgiven, let us pour out our love into their hearts by our Spirit. And so they do.

Prayer

You have saved us from the curse and from sin, having become both four our sakes. You broke the head of the dragon that had seized us in his jaws, in the yawning gulf of disobedience. You have shown us the way of resurrection, having broken the gates of hell, and you brought to nothing the one who had the power of death – the devil. You have give a sign to those who fear you – the cross, to destroy the adversary and save our lives. Amen.

Gregory of Nyssa

Song