Weekly Musing - Pat

Remission or remission?

It happened because of a conversation. I’m not sure what you think of when you hear or read the word “remission”. However, when someone talks about remission, my mind normally associates it with a medical condition like cancer. When someone is being treated for cancer and the doctor declares, “your cancer is in remission”, the whole family rejoices. But in the back of everyone’s mind is the question, will it return? Because when used as only a medical term, it is not the same as a cure. There remains a possibility of the cells causing the cancer to return.

(One question before we go on, is sin behavior to be punished or a disease to be healed? I’ll let you think on the answer. Meanwhile, I’ll continue.)

BUT

Not so with the word “remission” in Scripture.

In New Testament Greek, the word most commonly translated as "remission" is ?φεσις (áphesis), which literally means "a letting go," "release," "dismissal," or "freedom" (such as the release from captivity, debt, or slavery).

Are “remission” and “forgiveness” the same? Is there any difference? Curious minds want to know. That’s why this musing means so much to me. I have been taught and told Jesus died for the forgiveness of sin. Is that it? I’m not saying it’s not true, just not the whole story. Is it possible for “remission of sin” to be permanent or a cure?

If we see remission only as freedom from a legal debt owed, we miss out on the beauty of healing from the disease. Sozo, the Greek word for salvation means; “to save, heal, deliver, preserve, or make whole.” Jesus came to bring remission, forgiveness, and salvation.

Let’s take the words, “remission”, “forgiveness”, and “salvation” and put them together in everyday terms:

There is no debt hanging over our heads. We are forever forgiven, free, healed, made whole from the sickness and disease of sin. It has been sent away as far as the east is from the west. It’s not coming back. Never, never, never again!

As Jesus declared, “It is finished!” You are whole. See yourself enjoying a life of Jesus-consciousness not sin-consciousness. Because when you see Him, you see yourself! Live, fly, and breathe free my friends! Christ AS Life!