Throughout Scripture we see God giving and God taking. In the Garden of Eden, God gave the promise of the Savior to Adam and Eve, and he took away their guilt that they brought on themselves. Or consider David. On the one hand, God gave him the role as the king of the Israelites. On the other hand, after the prophet Nathan rebuked him for his sin with Bathsheba, Nathan said, “The Lord has taken away your sin. You are not going to die” (2 Samuel 12:13). There is also a divine giving and taking after the resurrection. Today, the apostle John helps us see that Jesus’ triumph over sin, death, and the devil takes away our fear and gives us confidence.
