Tuesday 25th December
To all who read these daily devotional.
May God bless you richly over this festive season. Enjoy friends, enjoy family, but most of all let us rejoice in the birth of our Saviour, Jesus Christ, the hope of glory. May the Lords favour rest upon your lives, give you peace and liberty and pour His conditional love over you.
Every blessing in Christ
Anthony Achilleos
adailydevotional.WordPress.com
Saturday 22nd December
Luke 1:39-55
The message of Christmas is God’s gracious gift of His Son Jesus Christ, being born to a virgin in the most humble of places. This heart-warming story is so often acted at schools, in churches and even in films. Yet as much as this story is rightly about Jesus, there are important characters that add to the dynamic of this narrative and even dare I say, that without some of them there would be no Christmas story at all.
One of these important characters is the mother of Jesus, Mary. Throughout the world Mary is highly revered (even sadly worshipped) yet is it right to honour such a lady, after all Jesus should always be the centre of attention? Well, Jesus is and should always be the headliner as He is the reason why Christmas is celebrated, but if we read Luke’s account of Jesus’ conception and birth we come to realise that Mary was no ordinary lady.
Verse 39 starts off with Mary running to her relative’s house. As she greets Elisabeth, her baby (John the Baptist) leaps for joy inside her womb. Elisabeth then acknowledges Mary as a woman blessed above all other women and admits that she is honoured to have the mother of Jesus in her home. Elisabeth emphasises that Mary’s favour from the Lord is because of her obedience and belief in what the Lord had said through Gabriel. What an amazing picture that Luke builds for us here. The joy, excitement and anticipation of knowing that a Saviour was to be born through Mary is evident throughout the text. Even the baby in Elisabeth’s womb jumps for joy.
Luke makes it very clear that Mary’s life will never be the same. The joy and excitement that Elisabeth felt is also mirrored in Mary’s response in what is commonly known as “The Magnificat”. There have been many allusions between Mary’s song and Hannah’s song of thanksgiving upon her giving birth to her son Samuel (1 Samuel 2:1-10). Both were thankful to God for their gift of children and both knew that their children would be servants to God in their own ways. However Mary, in her song, acknowledges that she is carrying more than just a child but the fulfilment of God’s promise to Abraham and His merciful love to the nation of Israel.
Should we honour such a woman? Yes, absolutely. She knew that in carrying the Saviour of the world, that she would be called ‘blessed’ from generation to generation. But rather than emphasise the greatness of Mary, let us be reminded of her response in the privilege of birthing the King of Glory, the One who deserves all the honour. “I am the Lord’s servant…He took notice of His lowly servant girl.” What a perfect example of servant heartedness Jesus had in His mother. Yet the truth is that Jesus was truly the ultimate servant, in giving His life for humanity.
Upon reading these verses we should be challenged to question where our heart lies over this Christmas period. Is it in the excitement of the festive cheer, of gifts and Christmas fayre? Do you ever feel that same elation when you read of Jesus’ birth or hear of His story in dramas and plays as John the Baptist did? Or are we as overjoyed as Mary and Elisabeth were in knowing that in Jesus, something extraordinary was to be birthed? Let the festivities of Christmas time emphasise the remembrance of the birth of the servant hearted Saviour of the world through the blessed virgin Mary.
Friday 21st December
Luke 1:26-38
Today’s reading is taken from the first chapter of the Gospel according to Luke. We read of the Lukan account of Jesus’ miraculous conception. The events that unfold in this story changed the world, as it was known in ancient times. A Saviour was born to the most unlikely of people. A young virgin named Mary.
We read in verses 27-38 that God sent the Angel Gabriel (the ‘messenger’) to tell Mary of how she had found favour with God and how she would bear the Son of God. There are so many valuable points to expand upon in just these few verses. The two things to highlight of great importance is firstly of how God viewed and used Mary and Mary’s response to Gabriel’s message.
Mary lived in Nazareth, a simple town in Galilee. She was to be married to Joseph, a just and noble man. Then one day an angel appeared to her and said that she was favoured by God. This is not to say that she was God’s favourite but rather that her lifestyle was favourable in God’s eyes; that she had caught the attention of God by the way she was living. This is something that struck me when I read this text. Am I at a place in my life whereby if an angel came to deliver a message to me, would they refer to me as a favoured man of God?
Upon seeing Mary’s fear and distress the Angel Gabriel again comforted her with the words in verse 30 ‘don’t be afraid, you have found favour with God’. Are we living with the favour of God over us? God’s favour comes from obedient hearts with a willingness to serve Him fully. God saw this in Mary, favoured her and gave her the greatest honour and privilege of conceiving God incarnate. Not only was this Boy going to be the Son of the Most High but also that Jesus was to have a Kingdom that will never end.
Can you imagine how Mary must have felt? First of all an angel appeared to her and then she is told that she will become pregnant by the Holy Spirit and that her child will be the Saviour and King of Israel and of the world. In verse 34 her distress and fear turns into confusion as she asks how all this wonderful news would happen, after all she was a virgin. Gabriel explains the intricate details of this conception and with his final words appeases Mary’s fear by confirming that ‘nothing is impossible with God’.
Would you in this situation have had the same response as Mary’s, found in verse 38? Commissioned with this great task of bearing the Saviour of Humanity and still Mary’s faithfulness to God stands strong against her most probable fleshly fears. “I am the Lord’s servant, may it be to me as you have said.” Wow. If Mary didn’t answer in this way, what would have happened? Yet Mary, in her faithfulness and obedience to God answers with humility (servant hearted) and a willingness to serve. This is how we gain the favour of God. Mary’s response is why I believe God chose her as the vessel to carry His Son, Jesus. Her obedience and willingness to be used by God, despite her fears and confusions, should challenge us all when we are commissioned by God, whether that be in small tasks or greater tasks. Our response to God’s Word and His Will in our lives, determines the favour that is given to us.
“Nevertheless, Not my will, but Yours O Lord”
(Luke 22:42b)
Thursday 20th December
Matthew 18:21-35
One day a man decided to take his car out for a spin. As he got behind the wheel madness took over. His foot became ever increasingly closer to the floor of the car until before he knew it he was doing 100mph down country lanes. He drove through red lights, cut up other cars until finally he crashed into a ditch. Little did the man know that an unmarked police car was following his every move. The man was released from hospital with minor injuries and was duly arrested for reckless driving and criminal damage. Once in court the judge read out the convictions and pronounced the verdict. GUILTY. The man burst into tears knowing that he would not be able to pay his rightful punishment. The judge, instead of giving the sentence of the huge fine, said ‘your debt has been paid. You are free to go.’
Peter asked Jesus how many times he should forgive a brother that had wronged him. He knew it was Jewish custom to only forgive the same person 3 times so he asked if 7 times would be enough. Jesus instantly replied that he should forgive 7 times 70 times. He then further explained this statement in the parable found in Matthew 18. Jesus describes that there was a certain man who owed his master 10,000 talents. This amount is a more than a lifetime’s wage, an amount that he would not have been able to pay. The master threatens to sell him and his whole family as slaves to pay for the debt. The desperate servant begs for mercy and the master graciously and compassionately lets him off. The servant then finds servants of his own who owed him 100 denarii (about 3 months salary). Yet instead of showing the same compassion he had received, he grabbed his servant by the throat and threw him in prison. His master, upon hearing this, summoned him back, rebuked him and threw him to the torturers until he could pay his loan back.
Jesus then says, much like the verses we read in Matthew 6:15, that this is the same treatment we will receive when we do not forgive our brothers/sisters with sincere hearts. The merciful master in this parable and the gracious judge in the above story could both represent God. The immeasurable debt is the same as our sin. We have no way to pay it back. Yet because God is a merciful and loving Master and Judge, He sent Jesus to pay for our debts. In fact Jesus became our debt and a “ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). That is not to say we can live reckless and sinful lives; on the contrary, we must try to live like Christ in all that we do and say.
This parable was a response to Peter’s question of forgiveness. In essence both the story and parable highlight the importance of knowing our debts have been paid. However, it doesn’t stop there. We have a responsibility to recognise how much we have been forgiven (an immeasurable amount that couldn’t possibly be paid for by anything we could do) and with that knowledge forgive others with that same measure of grace given to us.
Jesus’ sum of 7 times 70 was not supposed to be an actual figure but rather the principle that if our brother/sister wrongs us, for whatever reason, we must always be willing and ready to forgive just as we ourselves have been forgiven of much. There should be no limit to how much we can forgive. Jesus concluded His parable with the reality that if we do not forgive as we have been forgiven then only danger and heartache waits for us. Notice that forgiveness in verse 35 is not just words but a heart choice. Ask Jesus to soften your heart so that you may forgive those who have wronged you, remembering the great debt you have been forgiven from. Thank you for Your grace dear God!!
Wednesday 19th December
Matthew 6:9-15
I don’t remember much from school, in fact I meant not too (a mistake I regret). Yet the things I do remember always seem to have a way of coming in useful. One of those valuable lessons I remembered was the freeze thaw process. This is the process of how a rock with a crack eventually becomes two. When water/moisture finds its way into the crack of a rock and freezes in ice-cold conditions, it expands. When this process is repeated over a long period of time the rock eventually cracks and breaks into two.
This is how I picture sin in our lives. Slowly slowly we allow the enemy to come in and pick at us. A quick peek here, a lie there, then before you know it we have fallen into habitual sin or done something contrary to our characters or to that of a follower of Christ. The fact is that it is very rare to find a Christian who all of sudden is consumed by sinful desires and gives into big temptations. It is always through small droplets of water (sin) entering our lives and not being dealt with that leads to catastrophic downfalls. I can speak from my own experience in saying that when sin is allowed to build in one’s life, not only is it disastrous in their life but also in the lives of those around them.
One type of this ‘freeze thaw cycle’ is the un-forgiveness in our lives that slowly weathers away at our hearts and turns into a cancerous bitterness that corrupts and destroys and eventually shatters our lives. Un-forgiveness, not dealt with, removes the joy of the believer and consumes them from the inside out. Jesus in His sermon on the mount adds a greater warning than just outward emotions or bitterness. He warns of something that has much greater significance in our lives.
In Matthew 6:9-13 Jesus gives the disciples the model of how to pray. Verse 12 emphasises that we must forgive others as we have been forgiven of much ourselves. Jesus after giving the Lord’s Prayer highlights the importance of this forgiveness. In verse 14 and 15 He says that if we forgive others, we will be forgiven. If we don’t then we will not be forgiven. This is the kind of statement that makes you look twice at the text. If we don’t forgive others then we won’t be forgiven.
You may say, wow, Jesus that is harsh. So and so has hurt me so much or this person doesn’t deserve to be forgiven. And yes in our own strength it is impossible to forgive. Yet Jesus’ words are clear for us. However our strength is found in verse 12; forgive others as you have been forgiven by God. When we realise how much Jesus has forgiven us of our sins, we then have no right to stand and say we can’t forgive others. Our strength and willingness should come from the fact that Jesus on the cross unconditionally gave His life that we may be forgiven of every conscious and unconscious sin, accidental or purposeful. This knowledge gives us the strength to forgive others so that we too might be forgiven. Christ’s grace and presence in us helps us to love as He did and to forgive as does.
Note the forgiveness Jesus talks of here is not ‘metanoia’ (repentance) but of aphiémi (the release) of everyday confession from the ‘falling away’ or ‘slipping’ into sin. The fact is not that we no longer walk with God but rather it is the damaging of the relationship God so desires to have with us His children. It is like the rock. Slowly our un-forgiveness pushes us further and further away from God until one day we become so consumed with our sin that we have drifted away from fellowship and communion with the Father. If that is you today, break the routine of sinning, get accountable, lean on God’s unfailing love and hold the Shepherds’ rod. Let Him pull you out of the hole you have dug yourself into. Take courage and strength in God’s love and forgiveness towards you so that you may forgive others equally.
Tuesday 18th December
Matthew 1:18-21
Often it confused me when we sang ‘Your Name be lifted up’ or ‘I will bless Your Name’ during songs. See when we address the Queen of England we address her as ‘your majesty’. Or when she gets announced in public appearances, she always has ‘Queen’ Elizabeth before her actually name. If people where to just address her as Liz or Elizabeth her role as ‘Queen’ would automatically be less authoritative. In the same way we respect senior members of staff with titles of authority to mark their leadership and authority over us. Earthly titles or marks of leadership are either earned or passed down through hereditary lineage. Yet as grand as a title or name they may have, does their name possess the power to save and change lives?
The answer is an emphatic no. Yet we give such honour (and rightly so as the Bible commands us to respect those in authority) to their names when in actual fact their authority is only limited to that of a worldly power. There is only one Name that has the ultimate power and authority and that is of the Name given to a small baby boy born to the Virgin Mary.
We read of this story in Matthew 1:18-21. Mary a Godly young lady was the chosen vessel to bear God incarnate. She was to be married to a young man called Joseph. Although they were not married and had not ‘known’ each other, Mary fell pregnant. Joseph had every right to embarrass and scorn his fiancée, as he knew that the child Mary was carrying was not his. Yet being a just and noble man he decided to divorce her quietly. But during that night an angel appeared to him in a dream that changed the world as we know it. He informed Joseph that the child Mary was carrying was conceived by the Holy Spirit and was to be the Saviour of the world. He told Joseph that the Name that he should give to the child was Jesus (Salvation/Saviour). He obeyed and the Saviour of the world was born.
So why do we praise His Name? Well the simple answer is that firstly there is power in the Name of Jesus. Paul tells us in Philippians 2:9-11 that because of Jesus’ obedience to the Father in living a humble, sinless and sacrificial life to take our sins, the Father bestowed on Him “the Name that is above every name, so that at the Name of Jesus every should bow.”
Secondly, because there is power and authority in the Person of Jesus, as He was both fully man and fully God. Even when Jesus was alive on the earth there were numerous occasions, that when people saw who He was, they humbled themselves and submitted to His authority. For example the demon possessed man legion, that lived in the caves in Gerasenes (Mark 5:1-20), knew straight away the authority that Jesus had. Or how about the Centurion in Matthew 8:5-13, who also knew of Jesus’ authority and miracle working power, claimed that he “was not worthy to have Jesus come under his roof.”
We too must recognise the power and Authority of both the Person and Name of Jesus Christ. Jesus was born as a humble baby boy yet given all of Heaven’s authority to reign on Earth, whose sole purpose was to save us from our sins on that blessed day at Calvary. Remember that, when people use Jesus’ Name in vain or do not treat it with the respect that it deserves; For His Name “is the only Name under Heaven or Earth by which men can be saved” (Acts 4:12). We bear His Name as Christians, let us be good stewards of it.
Monday 17th December
Matthew 7:15-20, Galatians 5:19-25
Can a fig grow among thistles? Can grapes be picked from among thorn bushes?
Jesus teaches His followers the great truth of identifying a fruit-bearing believer. Yet as was Jesus’ custom, He includes a warning in His teaching. Whenever Jesus taught, it was not in a condemning tone but rather with a Pastoral, Shepherd’s heart for His flock. In today’s passage Jesus warns His disciples to be aware of false prophets/false converts. It is so easy to walk the walk and talk the talk but when we are truly tested in life’s struggles, we can best identify the fruit we are bearing in our lives and in other’s. Jesus warns that the fruit one produces is evident in the way one acts. He then asks the question noted above. The obvious answer to Jesus’ question is no.
Each tree produces the fruit that it was made for. An apple tree produces apples, and pear trees, pears. Jesus is highlighting an important principle here and one that shouldn’t be overlooked. Verse 17 and 18 tells us that “a bad tree can’t produce good fruit and a good tree can’t produce bad fruit”. In other words, if we take the produce of ‘fruit’ to mean the way we live/act in our lives, then if someone says they are a Christian then they should live/act in accordance to that of a follower of Jesus Christ. Well how should that be? What does a Spirit filled fruit-bearing believer look like? Well the answer is found in the book of Galatians.
Paul starts by naming the fruits of the flesh in verse 19. His extensive list of fleshly fruits are usually evident in a non-believer i.e. Drunkenness, orgies, sexual immorality, sorcery etc.. Verse 22 then gives the fruit that a Spirit filled believer should not only live by but that should be the very core of who they are. These are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Paul concludes in verse 25 that if we profess to live by the Spirit then we should also walk by the Spirit, living out the fruits in our lives. This is the evidence of Christ in us.
Note that being a fruit bearing believer, is not only so you can show yourself to be holy and righteous before other Christians but so that we may set an example to the world; that in times of hardship and struggles, what comes out of us is only the fruit of the Spirit. For it is in hard times when we are squeezed, that what is really inside us shines through and is evident in our lives. Jesus cements this teaching in Matthew 15 by saying that is not what goes in us but what comes out of us that defiles men. Simply, if Christ is in us then only Christ should come out of us. For if our hearts are deceitful and sinful, then that is what will be evident in our fruit.
If we are to truly say we are Christ’s followers then we must challenge ourselves to bear good fruit in every season of our lives. Whether that be in a church context, work or at home we are challenged in all that we do “to serve with all our hearts, as if working for the Lord and not for men” (Colossians 3:23). In bearing good fruit we allow God to get the glory in every part of our lives.
Saturday 15th December
1 Peter 5:1-9, John 8:44
A few years ago I stumbled on a YouTube video of a group of about 20 buffalos in an African safari. They were being tracked by a pride of about 5 lions. They waited and watched closely yet hid themselves under the tall reeds that grew there. Suddenly one of the younger buffalo started to fall behind and immediately he was taken away from the herd of buffalos. In my amazement the herd of buffalos suddenly turned round and charged the lions to win back their little one. After some tussling with the lions they managed to rescue the young buffalo, be it badly injured, and carried on their journey.
Two things stood out to me. Firstly the enemies tactics towards us and secondly how vulnerable we are on our own. Peter, in his warning to the church leaders, picks up the danger of underestimating our enemy. Peter uses the same imagery as we have heard about in the video of a lion waiting to pounce. He warns of the devil in verse 8 that “he is our great enemy…..who prowls about, like a roaring
lion, seeking whom he may devour”. The imagery Peter uses here is so strong. He is saying that the devil’s intentions are not to scare us with his fiery breath or daggered shaped tail (as is so often the image portrayed in today’s society), but he wants to destroy us, devour us, and do everything in his power to prevent us from getting to the place that he will never be able to get to.
Jesus also comments about the devil’s character in John 8 when addressing the Jewish crowds. They were justifying themselves in saying that their righteousness came from Abraham being their father (ancestrally) and God being their true Father which they thought disqualified them of judgement from sin. Jesus corrected them in what is one of the strongest rebukes in the Bible. Jesus says in verse 44 that in fact God was not their Father as their characteristics and works were the same as the devils, their real father. He loves evil, is a murderer and hates the truth. Jesus expands of the latter statement and says that there is no truth in him at all. “when he lies, it is consistent with his character, for he is a liar and the father of all lies.” Luis Palau, in his book ‘Out of the desert’ put this statement in his own words and says that when the devil lies ‘it’s his native language’. The devil’s desire is to deceive us and push us further away from the truth, for that is his very character.
In the video we learnt that as soon as the young buffalo trailed behind the others, the lions pounced. That is also when we are vulnerable. When we are out on our own, no Christian fellowship around us, when we have stopped meeting regularly with other believers, trying to do life by yourself, that’s when you find yourself falling into sin and drifting from the presence of God. It’s like a bundle of matches. Trying to blow them out when they are all lit together is an almost impossible task, but when you take one single match from the bundle and blow it out it’s easy. Strength is found in unity.
James tells us in his epistle that if we “resist the devil, he will flee” (4:7). In Jesus, not only do we have the victory but we have the strength to overcome the enemy. How? Through humility in the presence of God, by constant fellowship with your spiritual brothers and sisters, by taking authority in using God’s word, our sword and through not giving the devil and foothold in any area of your life. My mum always said to me you don’t have to put your head in the dustbin to know that there is rubbish in it. So we should live our lives with that awareness and steer clear away from danger, not underestimating our enemy. Don’t leave the pack but more importantly know that Jesus’ victory on the cross overcame the devil and in Him we too can live in victory over the enemy. The devil may be powerful but God, who is greater and more powerful, is always the winner!
Friday 14th December
Psalm 145
It is when I feel convicted of my sinful state in the light of God’s Holiness that I am reminded of His faithfulness and His unconditional covenantal love towards me.
So often when we read scripture, we read it with judgemental eyes. For example, myself included, how often do we criticise the Israelites for their ignorance of all God did for them against the Egyptians? Their stubbornness caused a 4-week journey to the Promised Land to eventually take 40 years. Or how about when we read of the Pharisees in the New Testament, seeing all the miracles Jesus performed, yet still refusing to submit to His authority. Instead they thought it wise to have Him killed.
Yet if we allow scripture to be our mirror (James 1:23), then actually the finger points straight back at us. We are just as guilty as those who have gone before us. So often we see God’s goodness towards us yet we turn our backs and live life with ourselves in the drivers seat. Even the great Apostle Paul questioned his inner motives of doing what he didn’t want to do and not doing what he did want to do. Yet in all our rebellion, Gods love and mercy towards us outshines our foolish ways and draws us back to Him.
David the great Psalmist writes of this love. His words in verse 8 of this chapter are so strong and encouraging. He writes of the Lord that “He is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and great in mercy”. How encouraging are those words. When we look at these words, we can only but stand in awe of a God whose desire is not to condemn but to save, not pour out His rage but to pour His compassion and grace (that is not to say we have the right to do what we please). Verse 14 stands as a commitment to us, that God is for us and not against us. David says that “the Lord upholds all who fall, and raises those who are bowed down”. Even when we do fall, God’s love is there to pick us up and put us back on “the path of eternal life” (Psalm 139:24).
Yet how do we know of God’s faithfulness to us? Simply God’s works declare it. When we see of all that God has done not only in our physical lives but throughout creation, we are brought to our knees, knowing that there is a faithful God who shows Himself through His works. David knew of God’s faithfulness through the great stories of God’s works that had been passed down through generations. One of which would have probably been of the Israelites exodus from Egypt. He knew that even in their stubbornness and ignorance God was faithful and never left His people.
The Apostle Paul says in Romans 5:8 that Jesus showed His commitment to us His people by giving up His life, even whilst we were in our sins. He didn’t wait for us to become righteous all of sudden; He died for us while we were still sinners to become our righteousness. This is how we know of God’s faithfulness towards us and how when we are reminded of our sins, we can encourage ourselves with His love. I see Gods grace as a poker game. Every time we sin we place a bet, yet God always has the better hand, always raises our bet and wins every time.
“…Yet where sins abounded, Grace abounded much more.” (Romans 5:20)
Thursday 13th December
Psalm 139:23-24, Psalm 51
In my opinion, Matt Redman is one of the greatest songwriters of our time. My anthem for this year has been his song 10,000 reasons. What I love about this song is that it looks not to our circumstances but to God’s greatness and Majesty. Sometimes in our lives we seem to be so caught up in life’s problems that we forget to give God the praise He deserves. One of the lyrics that especially touched my heart in the song is where Matt writes that “Whatever may pass, and whatever lies before me, let me be singing when the evening comes.” The theme of this song is that even when our circumstances pull us down there is always a reason to bless the Lord with our worship.
David, one of the greatest song/psalm writers of all time also had a deep reverence for God’s greatness and His need to be praised in all seasons. In reading Psalm 139 we learn of a God who is infinitely more amazing than we could ever imagine. But what response does that bring us to, as believers in Him? Well, we can learn from David’s response to God’s greatness. Knowing God’s Splendour and Might, brought David to a comprehension of his sinfulness in the presence of absolute purity. In Verse 24, David asks God to search his own heart to remove anything that “offended God” in his life. When we come into the presence of God, His holiness shows our sinfulness and our inadequacy to stand before Him. Our response is one of humility and repentance; to remove things from our lives that as David said “offends God”. The best news comes later.
Psalm 51 is David’s response to Nathans rebuke at his adulteress act with Bathsheba. David had been caught. In Psalm 139 David tells us that we can’t hide anything from an all knowing, all seeing God. Yet he didn’t listen to his own advice and got caught up in lusting after fleshly desires. Yet here we see the Godly response to not only knowing he had offended God in his sin but also to the knowledge of who God is. David knew that he had sinned against a Great God. He humbled himself and pleaded with God to take away not only his sins but the shame of it too.
In verse 7 David asks God to wash him from his sin and make him whiter than snow. With today’s technology we know that snowflakes are made up from water vapor freezing around dust particles. Yet David’s request was simple. ‘I want to be WHITER than snow’. Although he probably didn’t know that snow was made up of dust particles, he knew that he wanted God to make him so clean and pure that he wanted to be whiter than snow. Throughout all David’s Psalms, no matter what circumstance he was in, He knew that God was slow to anger, rich in love and abundant in mercy. He knew when his life was mirrored against God’s greatness that he would fall short every time, yet he also knew that God’s mercy was always enough to forgive and wash away his sins.
In Jesus Christ we have a mediator who pleads on our behalf when we ask for forgiveness. It is Christ’s blood that washes away our sin and in Christ we have a safe refuge. We are hid within Christ so that the Father may not look at sin in us but rather look at Jesus’ perfect sacrifice for us (Colossians 3:3), which when we accept, washes our whiter than snow! Then we can stand forgiven at the cross, in reverence and awe of a personal loving Father.
A Daily Devotional - The Recipe of Life 