August 16 – Forgiven for What We Failed to Do

In today’s episode, Pastor Cory Barnes shares a devotion from John 18 and the striking contrast between Jesus, Pilate, and Barabbas. Pilate knew Jesus was innocent and openly declared that he found no fault in Him, yet when faced with pressure from the crowd, he failed to do what he knew was right. Instead, Barabbas—a man guilty of robbery, rebellion, and murder—was released while the innocent Jesus was sent to the cross. Pastor Cory points out that Barabbas provides a powerful picture of what Christ has done for us: the guilty man goes free while Jesus takes his place. But Pilate also reminds us that sin is not limited to the wrong things we actively do. Sometimes our deepest regrets come from the moments when we knew the right thing to do but failed to do it. Scripture shows us both sins of commission and sins of omission at the cross, and Jesus paid the price for both. If we are carrying guilt over times we failed to come through, made the wrong decision, or did not rise to the occasion, we can bring those failures to Jesus. His forgiveness is sufficient even for the things we wish we had done differently, and because He has forgiven us, we can receive His grace to forgive ourselves as well.Today's Reading:August 16 – Ezekiel 10–12; John 18