Today's encouragement comes from Ephesians 1:7, where we read these words:
"In Him [Christ] we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace . . . "When it is all said and done, the only thing that really matters in life (and in re-ligion) is the soul's cleansing before a Holy God. Christ's blood *alone* wash-es away sins; and our confidence before the Triune Deity is based solely in and on our God-given faith in Christ—which flows from the Holy Spirit's pre-vious regeneration of our dead hearts.
So much religious talk and discourse is nothing other than the bluster of peo-ple who wish to find some substitute (for the blood atonement of Jesus). Let us not be ensnared by this; and may God's true churchmen rejoice in their right standing with the Lord, by grace through faith in Jesus.
[Puritan quote of the day: "It is a Christian's duty to triumph, not only over the world, but over Satan . . . “ —William Bridge, in, "A Lifting Up For the Down-cast"]
