Monday, 9th December, 2024
By Pastor Chris Oyakhilome
“In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:14 KJV).
Our opening verse says in Christ Jesus we have redemption (riddance) through His blood, and then in the concluding part, it says, “…even the forgiveness of sins.” That word “even” is in parenthesis, which means it wasn’t in the original text. The translators inserted it by their own prerogative, but it was wrongly applied.
The correct conjunction is the word “and”: “In whom we have redemption through his blood, and the forgiveness of sins.” To say “In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins” suggests that “we have redemption of sins through His blood, meaning the forgiveness of sins.” But that’s not true, because they are two different things: first, in Christ Jesus, we have our riddance or redemption, and secondly, we have our freedom from sins (forgiveness). We’re free from sins.
That means you don’t have to sin. You don’t have to keep watching to be sure that you don’t sin; rather, just keep walking in righteousness; keep walking in the light—in His Word—His Word is light (Psalm 119:105). 1 John 1:7 says, “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” This happens automatically.
As you walk in the light of God’s Word, and in fellowship with other Christians, He automatically cleanses you from all sins. Sin is everywhere because man’s world has been polluted. But the Lord cleanses you from all sins, including sins you didn’t necessarily commit but rubbed off on you.
This was the reason they had all kinds of ceremonial “washings” in the Old Testament. If they wanted to go into the presence of God, they’d wash their hands and their feet; they had to wash all the time. But it’s not so today: the blood of Jesus Christ Himself cleanses us from all sin automatically. He takes care of any sin, whether from someone else, from the environment, etc., so that you can keep walking your way through life in victory, from glory to glory. Hallelujah!
Then in John 15:3, He says, “Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.” It’s the ministry of the Word to cleanse you of sin, guilt, and all unrighteousness so you can walk in perfection and excellence, producing works and fruits of righteousness.
PRAYER/CONFESSION
"Dear Father, I thank you for my new life in Christ, a life of righteousness with freedom from sin. Thank you for the continuous cleansing that comes from walking in the light of your Word. I walk in perfection and excellence, producing works and fruits of righteousness, in Jesus’ Name. Amen."
FURTHER STUDY
1 John 1:9; Romans 3:24-26 NIV; Acts 13:38-39
1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:
Revelation 2:1-17; Hosea 1-2
2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:
Revelation 10:1-11; Obadiah 1
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