Purchased

When God showed His love for us by sending Jesus to die for our sins, Jesus paid the

debt I owed. That debt cost Jesus His blood, but that blood covered my sins, so that I do not look at God as a sinner anymore. His grace covers my sin, and I am justified!! This shows that self-righteousness is no good for me or from me anymore because I live in the righteousness of God. I keep current in my pilgrimage by confessing my sin. 1 John 1: ⁹ But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. What happens in this cleansing? I walk in freedom from my debt, and I am right with God for eternity. If I try to claim that I have any part of this righteousness on my own, I nullify the overarching power of God's grace and try to put my forgiveness through human grace that is flawed in every form. Only God's grace makes me right, and Paul wrote the following words about how far-reaching God's grace really is in its truest form. I say truest form, and that means God's forgiveness for all my sins. 2 Corinthians 12: ⁹ Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. ¹⁰ That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

God truly is my strength and my shield. The Psalmist said it this way in Psalm 28: 7 The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving. All of this is possible because God purchased my debt and made you right or righteous with His righteousness. Thus, I am changed, and no longer the same. I am a new creation. 2 Corinthians 5: ¹⁷ This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! All of this is possible because He purchased me and I am His servant. So I will serve!!

I had a guy who bought me something, and in my pride I told him I would pay him back, and He just said, "No. If you try to pay me back, you will insult me because this is a gift, not a loan." What was my problem? My pride. God offers us salvation and the forgiveness of our sins, and we try to insult Him by trying to pay Him back for purchasing our debt. It is an insult to receive this grace and then think we can do anything to be forgiven more. Won't happen, because anything I give is flawed and God's love is perfect and complete. Live the life He called you to live and live it in freedom, receiving God's grace as it is. Sufficient!!

Praise God, my debt is purchased or canceled because of God's love and power.

The Pilgrimage Continues,

David Warren