Friday Devotional

Day 1 : “He was pierced for transgressions”

Good morning! The theme of this year’s BSM Fall Retreat is “Rooted,” where we’ll talk about different ways of abiding in Christ in all times and circumstances. We’ve provided three devotionals, one for each morning of the retreat (Friday – Sunday) to help you start your day thinking about and opening your heart to remaining in Christ, through this weekend and beyond.

We start at the beginning. Read Genesis chapter 3.

In this chapter, we see the beginning and essence of sin, and its consequences. At the very baseline, God gives a promise which humans disobey: in 2:16-17, he had said, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” Yet in the next chapter, we see Adam and Eve tempted into thinking that their way is better, and they go against what God had told them was better. “When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate” (3:5-6).

They previously walked with God in the garden; now they are uprooted from his presence by choosing to walk away from him. This is a pattern that we continue to see throughout the Bible, where God tells people what is right and good, and they still try to plant themselves somewhere apart from him. Yet this is also our own story: we constantly choose not to believe God, and we reject his way in favor of the alternatives. This is the definition of sin. The Bible teaches that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23), and Romans 6:23 says that “the wages of sin is death.”

Before you get to the second half of that verse, which you probably know from memory, take a moment to reflect on that. Sin is real, and because of any one wrong I commit, I deserve to be permanently separated from God. I am guilty because I have chosen to turn away from a holy God who knows perfectly what is best.

The good news comes in the next part of that same verse: “The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” God grants us the gift of being freed from sin through faith in Jesus, because he has made up for those sins! Through his death on the cross, Jesus took the punishment we deserved so that we would no longer have to endure it. The prophet Isaiah (53:5-6) describes it:
But he was pierced for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his wounds we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned–every one–to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Instead of us being separated forever, Jesus’ sacrifice made up for our shortcoming, so that we could have a relationship with him, despite our unholiness and his holiness; and become rooted in God’s presence again! Praise God! This is the gospel. These are probably ideas which you already know, or at least have heard before; but take a few minutes to remind yourself of the depth of these truths. Ultimately, they should affect every idea we have and every action we take. Reflect quietly on the following questions, to yourself.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS 

Read Romans 5:12-21. How does Christ’s behavior compare to Adam’s? What can I learn about humanity from this? 

Three characters in Genesis 3 do wrong: one by deceiving, one by ignoring the truth or acting on a falsehood, and one by following another person who leads them into sin. Which of these do I most identify with, and why?

What is a sin, or a few sins, in my life for which I need to ask God for forgiveness (maybe related to the questions above)? Take a moment to ask God for forgiveness. 

How can I take steps to turn away from that sin and direct myself toward obedience to God, in repentance?