Covered
Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered.
Psalm 32:1
One of the things I have found from being both a preacher and school teacher, is the importance of explaining unusual, strange or difficult to understand words and their meanings. Often, when we talk about faith in Christ, we sometimes use words without understanding or explaining them. One of those words is righteous. We say that God has righteousness and that He makes people righteous, but this can be a strange concept to grasp.
The way the word righteousness is pictured in the Chinese language is helpful. It is a combination of two characters. The top word is lamb. The bottom word is me. The lamb covers or is above the person.
When Jesus came to this world, John the Baptist called Him “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). We each need to have our sins taken care of because they separate us from God, whose character and ways are always perfect and right. Because His love for us is great, God made His Son Jesus “who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him, we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor. 5:21). Jesus, the Lamb, sacrificed Himself and shed His blood. He became our “cover.” He makes us righteous, which places us in right relationship with God.
Being right with God is a gift from Him. Jesus, the Lamb, is God’s way to cover us.
Bible Reading
Romans 3:21-26.
Prayer
Dear Lord, thank You for dying on the cross for me and covering my sins so that I can have a relationship with You. Amen.
Amen