the Fourth Week after Easter
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Daily Devotionals
Bowen's Daily Meditations
" He shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities." - Psalms 130:8.
So says the Psalmist. A thousand years after, the angel who appeared to Mary takes up the refrain, saying, " He shall save his people from their sins." Peter in due time learns this admirable song, and thus modulates it in the hearing of the Jews: - " Unto you first, God, having raised up his son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities." Paul suffers not the strain to die. but gives it the following utterance: - " Christ gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works."
By his death he reconciles the Godhead to us. By his Gospel he reconciles us to God. He redeems us from all iniquities, finally, by his Spirit and sanctifying word. This result is accomplished by inspiring enmity between our souls and our iniquities. We discover these to be so many folds of an anaconda about our soul. We are made to hate them with a perfect hatred, - also to know our own impotence, - then to know our strength in Him, - then to burst these successive chains, and walk emancipated in spirit. In general, we may understand that there is no actual deliverance from any sin, until the odiousness of that sin has been seen. The odiousness of it is often first seen when we come into actual conflict with it; but most seen when we contemplate the opposite perfection in the lovely character of Christ.
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