Day 13 - The Cost of Forgiveness

John 1:29 (NIV)

29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

Isaiah 53:4 - 53:6 (NIV)

4 Surely he took up our pain
    and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
    stricken by him, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
    he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
    and by his wounds we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
    each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
    the iniquity of us all.

Colossians 1:13 - 1:14 (NIV)

13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

God’s forgiveness did not come without significant cost.

When God created the world, He put laws in motion for our benefit. But those laws also meant that once sin entered, there was no forgiveness of sin without the shedding of blood.

God will not violate the free will of mankind but He also did not give up on us. In His incredible love and mercy, He sent His only son Jesus, who chose to bear our punishment upon Himself so that we can be forgiven.

This is an act of incredible love and sacrifice, and one that completely changes our lives! Let’s never lose perspective of what God has done for us.

Take some time to reflect on how God’s forgiveness has impacted your life. What have you been set free from? Thank God for his forgiveness today, and look for opportunities to share your story with others.