Released Into Freedom
Just as the scapegoat was led far away, our sins are carried away forever in Jesus.
Devotional Credit:
Days of Heaven
Photo Credit:
Unsplash
In the Old Testament, the high priest would place both hands on the head of the live goat, confess the sins of the people over it, and send it away into the wilderness. That goat, bearing the iniquities of the nation, was a vivid picture of removal, the sins were gone, never to return. This was a shadow pointing forward to Jesus, the true Sin Offering, who bore our sins and carried them away forever.
The devotional today from A.B. Simpson reminds us that when sinful or unholy thoughts confront us, we have the privilege of immediately handing them to the Holy Spirit. We lay them on Jesus, who has already borne their penalty. This is not an act of earning forgiveness, but an act of agreeing with the finished work of the Cross and trusting the Spirit to apply that work in real time.
While the process of separation from sin can be painful, even involving deep suffering or long-lasting struggles, there is a sweetness in the Spirit’s work. He severs the cords between us and the sin without harming our true selves. Just as the Old Testament goat was led far away, our sin is taken outside the camp, fully removed from our identity in Christ.
We do not manage sin by suppressing it in our own strength. We release it to the One who has already dealt with it at the Cross. Then, with hearts lightened and cleansed, we walk forward in the purity and joy that are already ours in Jesus.
Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
I have borne your sins in My body on the Cross so that you might die to sin and live to righteousness. As far as the east is from the west, so far have I removed your transgressions from you. The accuser may remind you of what I have already carried away, but you are not under condemnation, for you are in Me.
When you face thoughts that do not belong to your new life, hand them to Me. I have already paid for them, and I will guard your heart and mind in My peace. I am your High Priest and your Sin Offering. I intercede for you continually. No accusation can stand against you because I have justified you.
You are clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Walk in the freedom I have secured for you. You are My beloved, set apart, and nothing can snatch you from My hand.
Scripture References: 1 Peter 2:24, Psalm 103:12, Romans 8:1, Philippians 4:7, Hebrews 7:25, Romans 8:33–34, John 15:3, John 10:28
Real-Life Analogy
It is like tossing a heavy, smelly garbage bag into the back of the sanitation truck. Once it is hauled away, you no longer carry it, smell it, or worry about where it went. The truck takes it far from your home, and it is gone. In the same way, you can entrust your sin, shame, and unholy thoughts to Jesus. He carries them away, and they no longer belong to you.
When an unclean thought or temptation rises today, do not clutch it or try to “fix” it. Simply release it and say, “Lord, I trust You to remove this and live Your life through me in this moment.”
Prayer of Confidence
Lord, thank You that You have taken my sins away completely. Thank You that You are both my High Priest and my Sin Offering. I rejoice that You have separated me from sin’s penalty and power. Today, I walk in the freedom You have given me, confident that the life I live is Your life in me. I praise You for the purity, peace, and joy that are already mine in You.