JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Redemption, today’s Freedom Phrase is based on Titus 3, verses 3 through 5a.

The Apostle Paul said, “At one time, we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.”

When we hear testimonies from believers, we hear of the various ways that God can change a heart. In the case of Paul the Apostle, his transformation was dynamic. The kindness and love of God changed him from the inside out. Instead of being foolish without Christ, he became wise in Christ. Instead of being disobedient to the Gospel, he became obedient to the Gospel. The hatred and hardness that he once harbored in his heart were replaced by love and tenderness toward God and His church. Today, followers of Jesus also have a story to share of transformation.

Through Jesus, we are set free from the strongholds of our past to enjoy God’s love in the present.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – The redemption of Jesus as a Presidential Pardon.

Most presidents in our nation’s history have granted pardons. When this happens, a person who committed a crime is forgiven and restored to the innocence they had before they committed the crime. Their crime is not held against them.

That is the way it works with God’s forgiveness. For the person who looks to Jesus as Savior and Lord, He grants the pardon that releases them from the guilt of their sins.

Isaiah 55 explains how we can experience this life-saving pardon:

Verse 6 says, “Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.”

The redemption of Jesus as a Presidential Pardon is a lesson of faith worth remembering.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com