Sin our sin has separated us from God, what provision is there to wipe away its ramifications? How can we initiate a relationship with God or have it restored?
Psalm 49 gives us some insight into this. The redemption or provision for sin is not something that can be bought at the store. The stain of sin is spiritual, and therefore, it must be dealt with in a spiritual fashion. Who or what method is involved in this redemption? Verses 7 through 9 of Psalm 49 gives us some insight: “No one can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for them – the ransom for a life is costly, no payment is ever enough – so that they should live on forever and not see decay.” This makes it clear that the redemption for sin cannot be handled by any person. It is beyond our means to try to handle it – it is not attainable. The interesting thing about these verses is that it leaves a void. How can sin be atoned for? Verse 15 provides the answer: “But God will redeem me from the realm of the dead; he will surely take me to himself.” This is echoed in 1 Peter 3:18: “For Christ died for sins once and for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.” The only guarantee for redemption of our sins is through Jesus Christ. There is no other way. The good news is that He guarantees redemption from sin when we are sincere to ask Him for forgiveness of our sins and trust Him as our God.
Today there is much concern as to whether a person can “earn” their way into heaven. It might seem like a worthy cause, but because of our human imperfections, we are not able to redeem ourselves per the discussion in the previous paragraph. This leaves us in a vulnerable position. Most people would like to go to heaven, but how is this attainable when we are in a sullen state of sin and unable to do anything about it? The apostle Paul was clear about this when he wrote to the Romans. He acclaimed that we were “powerless,” but Christ was able to do something about this: “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. . . . But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:6, 8). The act of redemption for our sins is a divine act. We do not have anything to do about Christ dying for our sins. He already did that for us. There is nothing left to “earn” because the redemption has already been accomplished!
Why not ask God right now for forgiveness of your sin. Tell Him your sorry for your sin, ask for His forgiveness, and trust Him as the Lord of your life. You can do that right now!