LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL
By Pastor Mensa Otabil
Tuesday 22nd February 2022
JESUS, OUR ATONING SACRIFICE
Scripture Reading: 1 John 2
And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. 1 John 2:2
In addition to being our Advocate, Jesus Christ offered Himself as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. He has paid for our sins.
• He paid for our sins. In the Old Testament, when God’s people sinned, an innocent animal suffered death in their place. That animal – bull, sheep, ram, goat – paid the price that the people who sinned should have suffered. Since animal life was not equal to human life, no animal could adequately pay for human sin.
God became a Man in Christ Jesus to pay the price for the sins of all human beings. The price He paid for our sins was adequate for all human beings at all times. The power of Christ’s sacrifice never loses its power.
• He removed our sins. After the Lord Jesus paid for our sins, He took it out of the way. Now we stand before the Father without fear of His wrath and judgment.
That is why we should not carry the burden of our sins. Of course, we should not take it lightly when we sin against the Lord. It is right for us to be sorry for our sins. However, we should not be so weighed down by the burden of our sins that it creates a distance between us and the Lord.
The price for our sins has been for paid by Christ. He paid it Himself on our behalf. He took on the judgment that should have come upon us. All we need to do is accept what our Redeemer has done for us and ask for His forgiveness. In asking for His forgiveness, the Lord requires that we repent, that is turn away from our sin and not continue to repeat what we did wrong.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, I receive forgiveness of sin from you. Thank you for making me acceptable in your presence. In Jesus’ name, Amen
