“He was delivered over to death for our sins
and was raised to life for our justification.”
(Romans 4:25, NIV)
Have you ever hurt someone dear to you by sending an unkind message? Even if you delete it from your screen, you cannot erase the hurt in that person’s heart. The same is true of our sins. Lies, hatred, and selfish actions cannot simply be undone. Doesn’t the Bible teach us that these sins damage not only our relationships with others but also our relationship with God, who created us?
Yet God did not abandon us. He opened a way to restore our relationship with Him. That way is through the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Imagine that, through your own mistakes, you have accumulated a debt far beyond your ability to repay. Then someone who loves you makes a great sacrifice and pays the entire debt on your behalf. That person does not simply overlook the debt, but pays the price to set you free.
Jesus took upon Himself the judgment for sin that we deserved and gave His life on the cross. This is what “redemption” means. Forgiveness is not something we can buy through good deeds. It is a gift made possible by the sacrifice of Jesus.
But how can we know that this payment was truly accepted? To continue the illustration, the resurrection is like a reliable confirmation declaring, “The debt has been paid in full.” God, our Creator, raised Jesus from the dead, demonstrating the certainty of His redeeming work and His victory over sin and death.
To believe is to receive this salvation personally and place our trust in Jesus. God promises to forgive and welcome those who acknowledge their sins and turn back to Him. Strengthened by His forgiveness, let us take a new step forward—apologizing to those we have hurt and changing the way we live.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
(1 John 1:9, NIV)
This is God’s promise: if we acknowledge and confess our sins before Him, rather than hiding or justifying them, He will forgive us.
The certainty of this promise rests not on our feelings, but on God’s faithfulness and justice.
The surrounding passages show that this forgiveness is grounded in the blood of Jesus and His atoning sacrifice (1 John 1:7; 2:1–2).
“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.”
(Acts 3:19, NIV)
To “repent” means more than simply feeling regret.
It means turning away from a life lived with our backs toward God and turning toward Him in trust and obedience.
These words were spoken in a sermon proclaiming the death and resurrection of Jesus.
a.