THE GOSPEL OF FORGIVENESS – Part 3 of 3

“I will make a new covenant with My people Israel. I will write My law on their hearts. They will all know Me from the least to the greatest. And I will forgive their iniquity. And I will remember their sin no more.”  (Jeremiah 31:31-34)

The choice is yours. You can continue to carry the burden of your sins, or you can allow the Lord to take it from you and set you free, as He wants to do.

Some of you live in grace, not really struggling with past sins. You have given them to God and don’t think about them. You may just need to say, “Lord, for the things I did this past week that took me from the path, and for ways I failed to do what you wanted me to do, please forgive me.” Then simply trust in His grace.

But others of you are carrying heavy burdens from the past. God knows them. Christ has already suffered for them. He stands there, longing to take you into His arms. He’s saying to you, “Please let them go. Please give them to Me.”…

Know that you can come away from the encounter with joy in your heart and a spring in your step – loved, forgiven, and free. And then, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32)

After all, that is the good news of the Christian gospel of forgiveness.

-- Adapted from “Forgiveness: Finding Peace Through Letting Go” by Adam Hamilton

#6219

BEING RECONCILED TO GOD

I asked people in our congregation about their struggles with forgiveness… I had a conversation with a woman in her fifties who said to me, “I’ve never told anyone this before, but when I was in my twenties I got pregnant. I was scared and decided to have an abortion. But after the abortion, I calculated the date the child would have been born, and every year for the last thirty years during that month, I think about the child I might have had.”

It was clear that this woman still carried a burden, even thirty years later. It was not wrong for her to remember the baby she aborted, but even in that case, God longs for the woman to know His grace and forgiveness. Each of us has done things we regret and cannot change. We cringe or even cry when we think of them. And yet often we carry these burdens unnecessarily. We fail to trust that God “is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love” (Psalm 103:8), and that “as far as the east is from the west, so far shall He remove our sins from us” (Psalm 103:12). Through it all, God’s message to us remains the same: Stop carrying the burden yourself. Let Me take it. Be reconciled to Me.

This is the thing to remember: God has already agreed to that reconciliation. Paul Tillich, in one of his sermons, said that the bottom line of faith is accepting God’s acceptance of you. When you turn to God and long to be with Him, He is already reaching out, waiting for you with open arms. God has done everything necessary for your forgiveness, and He offers that forgiveness freely. All you have to do to gain this grace -- grace that came at such a terrific price -- is to accept it. 

-- Adapted from “Forgiveness: Finding Peace Through Letting Go” by Adam Hamilton

#6189

CELEBRATING WHO WE ARE

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”  (John 1:12-14 NKJV)

Knowing the stories of our faith, and how they connect with our own life experiences, means that we can celebrate the faithfulness and grace-bestowing love of God that was given to Abraham and Sarah, to the Israelites in Egypt and in the wilderness, and to the disciples. We can celebrate what is given to us as we join others in claiming God’s purpose and rejoicing in God’s love as we gather at the Lord’s table. We can celebrate what will be given to us and to all creation in times yet to come because God is faithful and God keeps His promises.

We know who we are -- children of God loved and forgiven and called by God! And we know Whose we are -- children of God called to be witnesses to God’s love and care for all the world. We are therefore able to share in festivity that grows out of our shared stories and visions. Our identity as God’s children -- His beloved sons and daughters -- causes us to seek ways to celebrate and repeatedly affirm that we are who we are! 

-- Adapted from “Rituals for Resurrection” by Linda J. Vogel

#5740

FORGIVE OUR SINS

Forgive them all, O Lord:
our sins of omission and our sins of commission;
the sins of our youth and the sins of our riper years;
the sins of our souls and the sins of our bodies;
our secret and our more open sins;
our sins of ignorance and surprise,
and our more deliberate and presumptuous sin;
the sins we have done to please ourselves
and the sins we have done to please others;
the sins we know and remember,
and the sins we have forgotten;
the sins we have striven to hide from others
and the sins by which we have made others offend;
forgive them, O Lord, forgive them all for His sake,
who died for our sins and rose for our justification,
and now stands at Thy right hand to make intercession for us,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
 
-- John Wesley, quoted in “Witness for Christ” by Harold K. Bates 

#5390

WHAT A MESS!

Six-year-old Brandon decided one Mother’s Day morning to fix his mother pancakes. He found a big bowl and spoon, pulled a chair to the counter, opened the cupboard and pulled out the heavy flour canister, spilling it on the floor. He scooped some of the flour into the bowl with his hands, mixed in most of a cup of milk and added some sugar, leaving a floury trail on the floor which by now had a few tracks left by his kitten.

Brandon was covered with flour and getting frustrated. He wanted this to be something very good for Mom, but it was getting very bad. He didn't know what to do next, whether to put it all into the oven or on the stove and he didn't know how the stove worked! Suddenly he saw his kitten licking from the bowl of mix and reached to push her away, knocking the egg carton to the floor.

Frantically he tried to clean up this monumental mess but slipped on the eggs, getting his pajamas white and sticky. And just then he saw Mom standing at the door. Big crocodile tears welled up in Brandon's eyes. All he'd wanted to do was something good, but he'd made a terrible mess. He was sure a scolding was coming, maybe even a spanking. But his mother just watched him. Then, walking through the mess, she picked up her crying son, hugged him and loved him, getting her own pajamas white and sticky in the process.

That's how God in Christ comes to us and deals with our messes.  We try to do something good in life, but it turns into a mess. Our marriage gets all sticky or we insult a friend or we can’t stand our job or our health goes sour. Sometimes we just stand there in tears because we can’t think of anything else to do. That’s when God picks us up and loves us and forgives us, even though some of our mess gets all over Him. 

-- Adapted from an unknown source, submitted by a SOUND BITES subscriber in Wisconsin

#5346

BEING KIND

“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”  (Ephesians 4:32 ESV)

Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God's kindness: kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile.

-- Mother Teresa 

#5279

THE GIFT OF FORGIVENESS

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”  (Ephesians 4:32 NIV)

Forgiveness is a gift, God’s gift, first of all, to each of us. And then a gift we give to others; a gift that, in the giving, brings to the giver unexpected and undeniable blessing. 

-- Kenneth Gibble

#4996

FULLY ACCEPTED BY FAITH IN CHRIST

“So again I ask, does God give you His Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard? So also Abraham ‘believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.’ Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: ‘All nations will be blessed through you.’ So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.”  (Galatians 3:5-9 NIV)

Just like Abraham, we are made right with God by faith alone. And just like Abraham, we are commissioned to bless all nations by sharing and showing the good news of God’s forgiveness. God’s intention is for us -- now forgiven and free -- to be bright beacons of hope and life in the world. But when we forget that salvation is by grace, we stop shining. Living in our own strength darkens our hearts and deadens our enthusiasm. What’s more, when we fall into the trap of trying to earn God’s approval, we paint a misleading and unattractive picture of what it means to be a child of God. Revel in the astonishing good news that you are -- now, already -- fully accepted in Christ. Then spend your life revealing that amazing grace to others. 

-- Max Lucado in “Life Lessons: Galatians”

#4922

MEASURING UP

I’ll never forget the day I handed Jesus my yardstick. I had been saved since childhood, but I was almost thirty before the message of grace finally made the trip from my head to my heart, setting me “free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:2). As the light of the good news finally penetrated the darkness of my self-condemning mind, the “perfect love” 1 John 4:18 speaks of finally drove out my insecurity, which had always been rooted in fear and punishment.

When I finally laid down my Pharisee pride and admitted that in myself I would never be -- could never be -- enough, I experienced a breakthrough that has radically changed my life. For as I surrendered my yardstick -- the tool of comparison that had caused so much mental torment and a sense of separation from God -- Jesus took it from my hands. Then, with a look of great love, He broke it over His knee and turned it into a cross, reminding me that He died so I wouldn’t have to.

That the punishment I so fully deserve has already been paid for.

That the way has been made for everyone who will believe in Jesus not only to come to Him but to come back home to the heart of God. 

-- Joanna Weaver in “Lazarus Awakening: Finding Your Place in the Heart of God” 

#4914

A HEALING GESTURE

“For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.”  (Matthew 6:14 NIV)

(Editor’s note: Dutch Christian Corrie Ten Boom was a prisoner in the horrific Ravensbruck concentration camp in the Second World War.   Her sister Betsie died in the camp.  One day in 1947 Corrie was speaking at a church in Germany.  At the end of the service she saw someone coming towards her she recognized.)

The place was Ravensbruck, and the man who was making his way forward had been a guard -- one of the most cruel guards…"Since that time" he went on, "I have become a Christian.  I know that God has forgiven me for the cruel things I did there, but I would like to hear it from your lips as well.  Fraulein, will you forgive me?"

It could not have been many seconds that he stood there -- hand held out -- but it seemed hours as I wrestled with the most difficult thing I ever had to do.  For I had to do it -- I knew that…"Jesus, help me!" I prayed silently.  "I can lift my hand.  I can do that much.  You supply the feeling."

And so, woodenly, mechanically, I thrust my hand into the one stretched out to me.  As I did, an incredible thing took place.  The current started in my shoulder, raced down my arm, sprang into our joined hands, and then this healing warmth seemed to flood into my whole being, bringing tears to my eyes.  "I forgive you, brother!" I cried.  "With all my heart!"

-- Corrie Ten Boom in “Tramp for the Lord”


#4753

THE ESSENCE OF THE MESSAGE

When I think of the essence of [the Christian witness], I always think of the blind man that Jesus healed by covering his eyes with mud and telling him to go wash in the pool of Siloam (John 9:1-34). When the religious leaders got wind of it, they started to question the man extensively -- wanting to know who healed him, how it happened, where the man who healed him was now, and even asking his parents to verify whether their son was in fact born blind. When they came back to the man and pressed him with questions a second time, accusing Jesus of being a sinner for doing work on the Sabbath, the man replied, “I don't know whether He is a sinner… But I know this: I was blind, and now I can see!” (John 9:25 NLT)

That's the essence of the message: “I was blind, and now I can see; I was lost and now I am found; I was guilty and now I'm forgiven; I was alone and now I have a friend.” It doesn't take a perfect life to spread that message -- just someone who has had an eye-opening encounter with the living Christ. Regardless of intellect, position, status or wealth, the message for everyone will come down to this: “I was blind, and now I can see.”

-- John Fischer in The Purpose Driven Life Daily Devotionals, 6/21/05


#4632

FREE TO FORGIVE

“…and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.”  (Matthew 6:12 NLT)

The words "you are forgiven" are the most hopeful words we can hear.  When we are laboring under a burden of guilt over things we have done and things we should have done but didn't, we can despair of ever being whole and free.  Someone has said of guilt, "It's a gift that keeps on giving."  Guilt has a way of gnawing away at our spirits until all that remains is discontentment, unhappiness, and fear of facing our sins.  As the psalmist wrote, "When I kept silence, my body wasted away through my groaning all the day long" (Psalm 32:3).  Forgiveness heals us by making whole a life torn apart by guilt.

With forgiveness comes hope for a new and restored relationship with God, others, and self.  Once the crushing burden of guilt is lifted, we need not be "paralyzed"; we are free to live the full and abundant life God wants for us. We are free to forgive.

-- Adapted from Robert Martin Walker in “Prepare Him Room”


#4422

THE HEART OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE

This morning I meditated on God's eagerness to forgive me, revealed in the words of Psalm 103: "As far as the East is from the West so far does God remove my sin."  In the midst of all my distractions, I was touched by God's desire to forgive me again and again.  If I return to God with a repentant heart after I have sinned, God is always there to embrace me and let me start afresh.  "The Lord is compassion and love, slow to anger, and rich in mercy."

It is hard for me to forgive someone who has really offended me, especially when it happens more than once. I begin to doubt the sincerity of the one who asks forgiveness for a second, third, or fourth time. But God does not keep count.  God just waits for our return, without resentment or desire for revenge. God wants us home. "The love of the Lord is everlasting."

Maybe the reason it seems hard for me to forgive others is that I do not fully believe that I am a forgiven person.  If I could fully accept the truth that I am forgiven and do not have to live in guilt or shame, I would really be free.  My freedom would allow me to forgive others seventy times seven times.  By not forgiving, I chain myself to a desire to get even, thereby losing my freedom.  A forgiven person forgives.  This is what we proclaim when we pray: "…And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who have trespassed against us."

This lifelong struggle lies at the heart of the Christian life.

-- Henri Nouwen in “The Road to Daybreak”

#4276

THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT GOD’S FORGIVENESS

“When we were overwhelmed by sins, You forgave our transgressions.”  (Psalm 65:3)

Although we may feel overwhelmed by the multitude of our sins, God will forgive them all if we ask sincerely. Do you feel as though God could never forgive you, that your sins are too many, or that some of them are too great? The good news is that God can and will forgive them all. Nobody is beyond redemption, and nobody is so full of sin that he or she cannot be made clean.

-- from “The Life Application Study Bible”

#4118

CHRIST’S MESSAGE HAS TWO WORDS

“Woman, where are they? Has no one judged you guilty?" She answers "No one, sir." Then Jesus says, "I also don't judge you guilty. You may go now, but don't sin anymore." (John 8:10-11 NCV)

If you have ever wondered how God reacts when you fail, frame these words and hang them on the wall. Read them. Ponder them. Drink from them. Stand below them and let them wash over your soul. Or better still, take Him with you to your canyon of shame. Invite Christ to journey [back] with you... Let Him stand beside you as you retell the events of the darkest nights of your soul.

And then listen. Listen carefully. He's speaking. "I don't judge you guilty." And watch. Watch carefully. He's writing. He's leaving a message. Not in the sand, but on a cross. Not with His hand, but with His blood.

His message has two words: “not guilty.”

-- Max Lucado in “He Still Moves Stones”

#4073

OUR REACTIONS

“So I'm telling you that her sins, as many as they are, have been forgiven, and that's why she has shown such great love.”  (Luke 7:47a ISV)

God has forgiven me so much, how can I not forgive? It’s that simple. It’s that difficult.

The true test of our faith is not our actions. It’s our reactions. It’s relatively easy to act like Jesus. It’s much harder to react like Him. And forgiveness is the litmus test.

-- Mark Batterson in The Grave Robber

#3971

THE WORK OF FORGIVENESS

"Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you."  (Colossians 3:13 NIV)

The law of Christ, which it is our duty to fulfill, is the bearing of the cross.  Thus the call to follow Christ always means a call to share the work of forgiving [others] their sins.  Forgiveness is the Christlike suffering which it is the Christian's duty to bear.

-- Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945)

#3706

COMFORT MY PEOPLE

“Comfort, comfort My people,” says your God. “Speak tenderly to Jerusalem. Tell her that her sad days are gone and her sins are pardoned."  (Isaiah 40:1-2a NLT)

God does not comfort us only to make us comfortable -- rather He does it to make us comforters.

-- Navigator's Daily Walk Bible


#3569

WHAT CAN WASH AWAY MY SINS?

One night in a church service a young woman felt the tug of God at her heart. She responded to God's call and accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior. The young woman had a very rough past, involving alcohol, drugs, and prostitution. But, the change in her was evident. As time went on she became a faithful member of the church. She eventually became involved in the ministry, teaching young children. It was not very long until this faithful young woman had caught the eye and heart of the pastor's son. The relationship grew and they began to make wedding plans. This is when the problems began.

You see, about one half of the church did not think that a woman with a past such as hers was suitable for a pastor's son. The church began to argue and fight about the matter. So they decided to have a meeting. As the people made their arguments and tensions increased, the meeting was getting completely out of hand.  The young woman became very upset about all the things being brought up about her past. As she began to cry the pastor's son stood to speak. He could not bear the pain it was causing his wife-to-be. He began to speak and his statement was this: " My fiancée's past is not what is on trial here. What you are questioning is the ability of the blood of Jesus to wash away sin. Today you have put the blood of Jesus on trial. So, does it wash away sin or not?" The whole church began to weep as they realized that they had been slandering the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Too often, even as Christians, we bring up the past and use it as a weapon against our brothers and sisters. Forgiveness is a very foundational part of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. If the blood of Jesus does not cleanse the other person completely then it cannot cleanse us completely. If that is the case, then we are all in a lot of trouble.

What can wash away my sins, nothing but the blood of Jesus... end of case!!!

-- Author Unknown


#3487

ACCEPT THAT YOU ARE ACCEPTED

Grace strikes at unexpected times, Tillich suggests: when we are in pain, feeling restless, empty, alone, estranged, or when we feel disgust, weakness, or hostility.  It strikes us when other things don't work, when we feel directionless and useless, when compulsions reign, and darkness overshadows.  When the ordinariness of life grinds us down, or the vacuity of the world's promises leaves us empty, when we finally realize our churning and churning is taking us nowhere fast, in such moments, grace comes to us like a wave of light in the darkness, and we perceive a voice saying, "You are accepted."

"We don't know the name of it at the time; there will be much to learn later," Tillich writes.  We don't have to promise anything at the time, for in that moment we are fundamentally the recipients of a promise.  We don't have to give anything; only to receive what is given.  Our only and singular task is to accept that we are accepted.

You are loved.  You are loved.  You are loved.

Can you accept that?

-- Robert Schnase in Five Practices of Fruitful Living


#3394