In Touch Devotional 28th February 2025 By Charles Stanley, Friday Message
TOPIC: The Symbol of Forgiveness
SCRIPTURE: Matthew 20:27-28
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Have you ever wondered why the God of the universe chose to save us by having His only Son die on the cross? You might think, Surely God could do anything, right? So why didn’t He choose another way? Yes, He can do anything, but He will not violate His own character.
God is holy. Everyone has disobeyed His law (Romans 3:23) and fellowship with Him has been broken. And from the beginning of time, He has required a penalty for sin. (See Genesis 2:17; Ezekiel 18:4; Romans 6:23.)
However, because of our heavenly Father’s great love for us, He allowed a substitutionary payment to be made for our sin. In Old Testament times, people would sacrifice animals to atone for wrongdoing. However, this provision was only a temporary solution. Jesus’ death was the final and permanent sacrifice for sin.
And then Jesus did something that we couldn’t. Three days after dying, He rose from the grave. Jesus conquered death! We now have direct access to the heavenly Father through Christ’s death on the cross. Once we accept this free gift of full forgiveness, God removes our sins as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12).
Bible in One Year: Deuteronomy 21-23
Dr. Charles F. Stanley was the founder of In Touch Ministries and a New York Times best-selling author. Throughout his ministry, he demonstrated a keen awareness of people’s needs and provided Christ-centered biblically based principles for everyday life.
