Salvation Knowledge and Remission of Sins - Luke 1:77

Luke the physician wrote how, “Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he has visited and redeemed his people, And has raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David. As he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began. That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us. To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant. The oath which he swore to our father Abraham, That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear. in holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life”, and in chapter one and verse seventy-seven of his book Luke shared how Zacharias referred to how his child would be, “the knowledge of salvation … by the remission of their sins” where we read:

To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,

The verse reads, “To give knowledge of salvation unto his people ...” Luke began with the words, “to give knowledge” or “to provide, grant, bestow, furnish and supply understanding and more perfect and enlarged general intelligence” “of salvation” which means “pertaining to deliverance, preservation and safety from the penalty, power, presence and pleasure of sin” “unto his people” or “toward God's nation and populace”. Luke shared how Zacharias said his son would provide to God's people “understanding” concerning His “deliverance and preservation” from the “penalty and power” of sin.

The verse continues, “... by the remission of their sins,” Luke added the words, “by the remission” which means “through and by way and manner of the forgiveness, release and pardon” “of their sins or “belonging to the people's errors, mistakes, offenses, wrongdoings and violations of the divine law in thought or act”. Luke shared how Zacharias prophesied that his son, John, would share how God would “forgive and pardon” their “errors and wrongs”.

When we think through Luke's words in this verse, we learn more of John's role as the “fore-runner” to the Messiah. Zacharias, John's father, said John would be an “instructor” who would lead people to the “salvation” God desired to provide to people. John would share with them how God wants to “remove” their “guilt and shame” for “sinful thoughts and behavior”, and when they responded to his words, God would provide “forgiveness and pardon” to them. God sent His Son Jesus to pay the penalty of death for the sins of mankind, and when a person puts their faith and trust in Him, they shall be “forgiven” and “pardoned” for whatever “mistakes, wrongdoings and violations” the have made against the law of God. God loves people, and when they realize the purpose for Him sending “John” and subsequently His Son Jesus, they shall understand how much He desires to be in a personal relationship with every one of them.

Next time Luke shares how Zacharias shares about, “the tender mercy of our God”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".