Ewald Schmidt
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. Romans 8:1-3, NIV
My biggest (greatest?) problem as a human being is a broken relationship with God. God is holy and sin is everything that falls outside his will. We were created for a living relationship with God, to be his children, and he wants to bless and protect us through the passage of life. Sin is the rebellion against God and his authority over our lives. My sinful nature is my own desire to be in control of my life, to have my will be done always, at all cost.
We soon find out that it is not within our own ability to fix the broken relationship with God. Many people have tried it their way, even by good deeds, to try to obey the law of God to the very best of their abilities. However, time and again, we bump into our fleshly desires. We find that we are born rebels.
God loved us so much that he has stepped in and provided the solution to our crisis of existence. He gave his only Son to become one of us. Jesus came in the likeness of sinful flesh to be the final offering for our sin. He did not have any sin; he was holy in every way. His holiness was needed to be an acceptable offering for the sin of the world. Romans 6:23 teaches us that God is holy and the price of sin is death. Nevertheless, Jesus came to pay that price for us; he paid in full for all our sins and brokenness.
The law of Moses was given to teach us what sin is. It made it clear for us that we were not able to redeem ourselves with God. In Christ, we find our Saviour who restores our relationship with our heavenly Father. When we believe in Jesus, we also step into relationship with God, the Holy Spirit. He takes control of our lives and directs us onto the new path with Christ. By our surrender to Christ, we were set free. We were forgiven for our sins; we have been cleansed by his blood and have become new people in Christ. Now, the Holy Spirit is busy building us up, transforming us into the likeness of Christ. He restores us to God’s original design.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for my new life in Christ. I could not redeem myself; I could not pay the price for all my sin. But you have died for me and paid my debt in full. Thank you that you are living in me through your Spirit, restoring my life to your will. Help me to obey you and give me the strength to overcome everything in my life that is not to your glory. Lord, make me more and more like Jesus. Amen.