With what knowledge does God comfort His people? That “her sin has been paid for!” Later in the “miniature Bible,” God explains how this sin has been paid for through the work of the Messiah, who we know to be Jesus Christ.
Friend, consider for a moment that what Jesus was doing on the cross was paying for your sins with His own life’s blood. We had sinned, through Adam and Eve in the garden, and owed a debt to God. The wages of sin is death, and this is what you and I owed. Then we added to our debt by living a life of self-gratification, rebellion against God, and failing to live up to the requirements of His law.
But God so loved that world that He sent us His own Beloved Son Jesus, who stepped in and paid the debt with His blood. He loved us unto death and then was buried in the ground to pay off what we owed. He rose from the dead on the third day and ascended to the Father with the evidence of scars in His own body--the debt was paid!
And what does this mean for you and me? It means we have no debt to pay! We owe nothing to God for the wrongs we have done, for God does not demand payment twice. And if we are free from the debt, we are also free from slavery. Remember Isaiah 40:2 NIV? Not only has her sin been paid for, but “her hard service has been completed!” God uses forgiveness to set captives free.
Question 6. Do you see how forgiveness of the debt of sin is intimately connected with freedom from slavery to sin? What are your thoughts about this?
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Wende's comment here absolutely rejoiced my heart, and I hope it does yours as well:
"When I carried around the debt of my sin, I was certainly NOT free. I was consumed with trying to fix it, hide it, justify it, minimize it, compensate for it, etc. It was exhausting! That debt has been lifted by Jesus when he willing bled for me. I am forgiven! This is provision, comfort and deliverance given freely and abundantly to me. This is amazing grace, a very sweet sound indeed!"
Chris' answer here is very helpful as well:
"This is the story of the cross of Jesus and the reason we must continue to wash at the cross so we experience God’s comfort through His grace and mercy never again being in bondage to sin but instead living in freedom to walk in the Holy Spirit’s fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. The Holy Spirit empowers us to live a life focused (not on self) on loving God and loving all people for the glory of God. We can’t help but want to tell others about Jesus, grow as disciples and help others grow as disciples."
Do you see how it is the cross that God uses to comfort His people? We should always connect the words “comfort, comfort my people” and the words “her hard service has been completed, her sin has been paid for” with the cross. In other words, we should always connect the comfort God wishes to give us with the suffering Jesus endured for us. The two are intimately connected. Let the message of the cross be for you “tidings of comfort and joy.”
Dear friend, today, as you turn away from the false and temporary comfort of food, as you walk by the Spirit, may you relish the cross and everything that happened there. May you experience abounding comfort from Christ as you walk by the Spirit.
Question 7. How does “suffering” apply to our experience with food?
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Sue's answer is both encouraging and instructive:
"If I skip a meal, I don’t seem to be really suffering (physically), I may think I am, but it is actually minor in the realm of true hunger. If I fast for a full day, then I am somewhat more aware of true hunger pains. (Yet nothing I assume like a 3 or more day fast). If I feel nauseous or get a headache from not eating, or feel weak, then that would be physical suffering and I hate it, especially if I am at work, and must have a clear energetic mind, that is when I may break my fast for a juice or a few almonds.
But my sufferings are more emotional than physical, it is the denying of my cravings, the denying myself, the uncomfortableness, the needing to take captive my thoughts unto the obedience of Christ. It's like “okay so my stomach is growling, or my mouth is watering because i see or think of food, I ask myself “So what?” “I can “suffer” through it”. I can walk away, I can drink a glass of water instead. I can pray, or think of Christ on the cross, just recite bible verses, to get my mind off food and onto something of more value."