“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
— Romans 3:23
Sin means missing the mark. It is any thought, action, or failure to act that breaks God’s commands and falls short of His standard of moral perfection.
Sometimes sin is something we do—this is called the sin of commission. It is doing what God has explicitly forbidden, such as lying, stealing, or treating others with hatred.
Other times, sin is something we fail to do—the sin of omission. It is failing to do what God has commanded us to do.
At the root of sin is rebellion and lawlessness. It is putting my desires above God’s will and choosing what I want instead of what He wants for me. We are also born with a sinful nature, a tendency that pulls us away from God.
Sin has consequences. It separates us from God, creates a barrier in our relationship with Him, and ultimately leads to spiritual death.
But thank God, sin is not the end of the story.
There is salvation.
SALVATION
Salvation is God’s deliverance of humanity from the power and consequences of sin. It brings reconciliation with God and the promise of eternal life.
Salvation means deliverance, safety, and rescue.
And salvation is not something we can earn.
It is by grace alone—a gift from God.
It is through faith alone—placing our trust in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
It is in Christ alone—because He made the ultimate sacrifice for us.
There are three dimensions to salvation:
Justification — Past: We are saved from the penalty of sin.
Sanctification — Present: We are being saved from the power of sin as the Holy Spirit works within us and transforms our lives.
Glorification — Future: We will be saved from the presence of sin and experience eternal life with God.
This is the great exchange.
Jesus took what belonged to me so that I could receive what belonged to Him.
I was guilty, but He gave me forgiveness.
I was bound, but He gave me freedom.
I was spiritually dead, but He gave me life.
I was separated from God, but He made a way for me to come home.
MY STORY
We need to follow God’s commandments—all of them.
Jesus Christ came to fulfill the Law, not to abolish it. Following Christ means learning not to compromise our convictions. It means choosing to walk in integrity, obedience, and truth—even when doing so is difficult.
We were bought with a price.
The precious blood of Jesus was spilled at Calvary for the redemption of our souls. He became the ultimate sacrifice. He took our place and became the Lamb of God who takes away our sins.
Today, we can walk in freedom, boldness, and truth because of the exchange that was made for us.
I was made new when I gave my life to Him.
I rededicated myself to Him on October 14, 2002, and I have never looked back.
I became a new creation in Christ.
The chains that held me down were broken.
I was re-baptized in what had once been a morgue.
Funny how the Lord orchestrated my steps.
I was resurrected to life in a morgue.
When I went under the waters of baptism, the old me died, and I was resurrected to a new life in Christ.
The life I now live, I live for the One who gave His life for me.
My sins were washed away.
I learned to deny myself, take up my cross, and follow Jesus.
I received the gift of salvation. I became a new creation in Him. He took my heart of stone and gave me a heart of flesh.
His mercy brought me back to Him when mental illness, jail, or the morgue were waiting for me.
I should have been lost.
But God.
His mercy found me.
His grace rescued me.
His love refused to let me go.
In His unfailing love, He received me just as I was. He continues to walk with me at my pace, teaching me, correcting me, transforming me, and drawing me closer to Himself.
The great exchange took place in my life, and I am forever grateful.
I no longer live as the woman I once was.
I live because He gave me life.
I walk because He rescued me.
I have hope because He redeemed me.
And I have a future because He saved me.
THE JOURNEY TO THE CROSS
Salvation did not simply change where I will spend eternity.
It changed who I am becoming today.
The cross reminds me that my life is no longer my own. Jesus paid the price for me, and my response is surrender.
Every day I must choose Him.
Every day I must deny myself, take up my cross, and follow Him.
Every day I must surrender my desires, my plans, my fears, my past, and my future to the One who gave everything for me.
I have learned that the cross is where I find freedom.
It is where shame loses its power.
It is where condemnation is silenced.
It is where chains are broken.
It is where the old life dies and new life begins.
That is why it has become my life’s mission to journey to the cross.
Because at the cross, the ground is level.
There is no hierarchy at the foot of the cross.
There is no one too broken.
No one too far gone.
No one too sinful.
No one beyond the reach of His grace.
The same Jesus who rescued me is still rescuing others.
The same blood that washed me clean is still powerful enough to cleanse.
The same Savior who gave me new life is still calling people out of darkness and into His marvelous light.
I am living proof that salvation is real.
I am living proof that God can take a life that was headed toward destruction and give it a new direction.
I am living proof that the chains can be broken.
I am living proof that the old can become new.
I am living proof of the great exchange.
And so I keep journeying toward the cross—not because I have arrived, but because I know where my life was redeemed.
At the cross, I remember who I was.
At the cross, I remember what He did.
At the cross, I remember who I am becoming.
I am His.
And that is enough.
PRAYER
Lord Jesus,
Thank You for the gift of salvation.
Thank You for Your grace when I did not deserve it, Your mercy when I was lost, and Your unfailing love when I was running from You.
Thank You for taking my place at Calvary.
Thank You for becoming the Lamb of God who takes away my sins.
Thank You for breaking the chains that held me captive and giving me new life.
Help me never to forget the price You paid for me.
Teach me to follow Your commandments, walk in obedience, live with integrity, and never compromise my convictions.
Help me to deny myself, take up my cross, and follow You every day.
Continue to transform my heart of stone into a heart of flesh.
When I am tempted to look back, remind me of how far You have brought me.
When I feel unworthy, remind me of Your grace.
When I feel condemned, remind me of the cross.
And when I forget who I am, remind me that I am Yours.
Lord, let my life be a testimony of Your redeeming power.
Use my story to help someone else believe that they are not too far gone.
Let my life point people back to the cross—the place where mercy meets us, grace restores us, and the ground is level.
I am forever grateful for the great exchange.
You gave Your life for me, and now I give my life back to You.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
Ivette Diaz-Yee
September 2026
