By Pastor Chinedu Emmanuel

Luke 5:20-24 “And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?22 But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts?23 Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk?24 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house.”

Every blessing from God is dependent on the forgiveness of our sins. Without the shedding of the Son of God’s blood, there is no benefit for those who have fallen from God’s grace and are under His judgment for sin. Through the shedding of his blood, forgiveness is offered to such individuals. Before the coming of Christ, the whole world was condemned before God.

Rom 3:19-20 “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”

This is why Jesus offered the man in Luke 5:20 forgiveness before healing. Before Jesus’ crucifixion, forgiveness had not yet been achieved through the shedding of blood. However, God’s mercy is not bound by time; He extends it according to His will. Jesus forgiving sins before His crucifixion demonstrated God’s mercy and foreshadowed the ultimate sacrifice He would make on the cross. During this time, Jesus operated within the Old Testament framework, similar to the prophets. His forgiveness mirrored the forgiveness ultimately achieved through His sacrificial death, marking the beginning of the New Testament era. This shift ushered in a new covenant where sins are remembered no more.

Hebrews 8:12 “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” In essence, Jesus’ forgiveness of sins served as a preview of the redemption accomplished through His atoning sacrifice on the cross. After the cross, God commanded us to proclaim that forgiveness of sins is now available to all who come to Christ in faith and accept His sacrifice on their behalf. 

Acts 10:42-43 “And he ordered us to preach everywhere and to testify that Jesus is the one appointed by God to be the judge of all—the living and the dead. 43 He is the one all the prophets testified about, saying that everyone who believes in him will have their sins forgiven through his name.”

Acts 13:38 “Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:39 And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.” Even the nation of Israel, chosen by God, had the opportunity for forgiveness if they turned away from rejecting Jesus Christ. Despite being His own people, they did not accept Him when He came.

Acts 5:31-32 “Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.32 And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.” This forgiveness brought us the benefit of redemption, which means freedom from all kinds of bondage, including satanic influences, sickness, and more.

Eph 1:7 “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace”. Col 1:14 “In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins”.

WHAT IS REDEMPTION?

Redemption encompasses two key meanings: Firstly, it’s the action of saving from sin, error, or evil. Secondly, it involves regaining or gaining possession of something in exchange for payment or clearing a debt. Synonyms include recovery, repossession, and recoup. In essence, redemption brings freedom from all debts to sin, penalties of sin, and freedom from sin and evil. These benefits are made possible through the atonement of the blood of Jesus. Scriptures like Ephesians 1:7 and Colossians 1:14 emphasize that redemption comes solely through the blood of Jesus and nothing else. This implies the clearing of our sins by the blood that washes them away, as well as the restoration of health and other blessings. If we fail to grasp the significance of redemption and salvation, which are the primary benefits of the cross for us, it can hinder our understanding. Through the cross, where Jesus shed His blood for us, He provided healing and opened the door to all of God’s blessings. Jesus has unleashed a torrent of blessings through His blood. Heb 10:18-20 “Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh”.

Jesus has not only provided healing for us but has also taken our afflictions upon Himself, bearing them on the cross as He paid for our sins with His life.

Isa 53:4-5 “Surely our sicknesses he hath borne, And our pains — he hath carried them, And we — we have esteemed him plagued, Smitten of God, and afflicted.5 And he is pierced for our transgressions, Bruised for our iniquities, The chastisement of our peace [is] on him, And by his bruise there is healing to us.”

Isa 53:10 “And Jehovah hath delighted to bruise him, He hath made him sick, If his soul doth make an offering for guilt, He seeth seed — he prolongeth days, And the pleasure of Jehovah in his hand doth prosper.” One might ask, when was Jesus bruised, and when did He receive the stripes that healed us?

1 Peter 2:24 teaches that Jesus bore our sins in His own body on the tree, referring to the cross, fully atoning for them. Through the stripes that drew His blood on the cross, healing was provided for us as part of our redemption and salvation blessings.

How can we enter into this?

Isa 53:1 “Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed” another version (NLT) says “Who has believed our message ?To whom has the Lord revealed his powerful arm?

This powerful arm of God’s salvation is unveiled only to those who believe in the good news of freedom through Jesus’ blood. Those who reject it have no alternative path to blessings apart from the blood, which is revealed through the living Word of God and the Holy Spirit. Jesus is the only way to these blessings, as mentioned in Hebrews 10:18-20. Salvation or healing is not of ourselves but is a gift of grace and mercy. Mercy implies the acknowledgment of guilt, and only the blood of Jesus can cleanse us from sin and guilt. Ephesians 2:8, “For by grace are ye saved through faith and that not of yourselves it is the gift of God.” Pastor Chinedu Emmanuel is the Senior Pastor of Fountain Of The Living Word Church, New Jersey.