Saved from the penalty and the power of sin

waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

(Titus 2:13-14)

It is an old cliche that Christ died to save us from the penalty and the power of sin. But the fact that my pastor last Sunday preached from the above and only managed to preach on our salvation from the penalty of sin got me thinking. It got me quite cross for a while actually, but he had some good things to say though later, and in the light of my own common blindness to the obvious repented.

By contrast it seems to me that Tom Wright fans often like to talk only about our freedom from the power of sin. Although they have a lot more universal view of what that phrase means than my pastor probably has (although I should be careful here).

The need to keep both together should have something to add to theories of atonement (penal substitution + Christus Victor). But whether it does or not we all must try and keep both of Christ's blessings in our hearts and our minds.