Don't Worry, You're Forgiven. It Changes Everything.

I just wanted to tell each one of you that you're forgiven. Seriously. That thing that you did that you are really ashamed of? You're forgiven. It has been removed from you. It has been covered. There is no longer any punishment. Those things that you have done that you hope no one finds out about? That's right. You're forgiven of those things too. The things that come back into your mind in your quiet moments so that you can't sleep, and the things that motivate you to act like you have it all together, lest someone think that you don't? - yep, you're forgiven of those things too. Not only that, but you're forgiven of all the bad stuff that you've ever done, AND, you're forgiven of being the type of person that would do that kind of stuff.  It doesn't matter what you've done - really, it doesn't. You are forgiven.

Wait. It gets better. You are also forgiven of all the stuff that you haven't done yet, but you are going to do. That's right. All of it. It is guaranteed that you have some failures in your future. There will be things that you do that you wish you hadn't. There will be things that you didn't do that you wish you had. It sounds incredible, but you are already forgiven. There is a righteousness outside of you that has already been poured out upon you.

You are clean. You are forgiven of all your sins - past, present, and future. Before you ever did anything good or anything other than blow it, a way was made for you to be forgiven. You don't have to make up for past mistakes or somehow try and earn your forgiveness. You no longer have to live under the weight of the past or in fear of the future. You are free. Because of this forgiveness, you are no longer separated from God. You are able to go straight to Him and have a relationship with Him. This is what you were created for and it is the only thing that will satisfy you.

Grace.  Peace.  Rest.  Cease Striving. 

Not only are you forgiven, but you are also now able to forgive others. Other people have hurt you, sometimes really badly. There are wounds in your life that have created anger and resentment, bitterness and rage. Because you have been forgiven much, you are able to forgive others - much. We are all prodigals in need of restoration. You are no better than they are. You needed forgiveness just like they do. The only appropriate response to the forgiveness that you have been given is to forgive and release from debt the people that have hurt you. Forgive as you have been forgiven.

All of this is available to us if we place our faith in Jesus Christ. If we do not place our faith in Jesus, our sin stays upon us and we are under God's wrath. But, if we confess our sins to God, turn away from them and place our faith in Jesus, He takes our sins away from us and forgives us of all of the things that we have done against Him. He puts His own righteousness into our lives. Our sins are removed from us as far as the east is from the west. Our sin no longer defines us. We are free from it. We can lay it down and bring it to Jesus. We can be free through placing our faith in Him. He puts the Holy Spirit within us to teach and guide us, to display His character through us, and to empower us to live for God. It is amazing.  He not only forgives us, but He also transforms us and begins to make us like Him. We change. This is all made possible through what Jesus did on the Cross and through the Resurrection.

As we experience this, we are then free to forgive and love others. We don't have to hold grudges and continue to harbor bitterness. Jesus will take that from us as well. He will replace it with His love, joy, and peace if we will only bring our pain to Him. All that we have to do is ask Him to take it away, and supernaturally, He will begin to do that. We only need believe and bring our struggle to Him. Then, we need the courage to love the person who has hurt us. He will give us that as well.  He really will enable us to love our enemies.

Because we are forgiven and we don't have to climb our way to God, we are free to truly love others without having to constantly worry about ourselves. We can focus on the needs of others because our deepest need has already been addressed through the work of Jesus when He died for our sins and rose from the dead to give us new life in Him. We only need to believe this. As we believe, our hearts are transformed, we come to know God, and we are free to give our lives away. We are empowered to share this love that God has for us with others. They need to know Jesus too. They need to be forgiven and given a new life as well. If we love others, we will share this love with them.

We will also gather with those who have been forgiven and are learning to love God and others. We will love them as well. This happens with a group of people called the Church. This is where we learn to love. Love is always sacrifical. I don't love other people because of how they make me feel about me. I love others by laying my life down for them. This is the example that Jesus gave. I no longer put myself first. I no longer use and hurt other people so that I will get my own way. I lay all of that down and I live for the benefit of others. This is what Jesus did, so it only makes sense that I would do it too. After all, because He has forgiven me and called me to know Him, I now follow Him. If I follow Jesus, I go where He went, do what He did, and love the people that He loved, right? Does anything else make sense?

Because I have received God's love, I am now able to love Him and others. I love God by spending time with Him, trusting Him, and obeying Him. If I say that I believe in Him and I believe that He is God, then it only makes sense that I believe that His way is best. He tells me His ways through His Word, the Bible. I mean, how can I say I love Him if I think that He doesn't know what He's talking about when He tells me how to live? I am forgiven and free so I am able to walk with God and follow His ways. He also gives me His Spirit to enable me to live for Him. Pretty cool, eh? It doesn't stop there. He also enables me to work with Him to make things right in the world, because so much has been messed up by the sins of others and the work of Satan. God would actually allow me, a guy who would be pretty messed up if it weren't for His love and grace, to work with Him to set the world right and bring it to Him because He really loves the world - like, a lot. Wow.

All of this is called abundant life, or eternal life. Eternal life is knowing Jesus. Once I come to know Him, eternal life has already begun. Because I am forgiven and free, I no longer have to fear death. In reality, I have hope that when I die, I will somehow spend eternity with Jesus. There will be no more pain or death. Satan is defeated. Every tear will be wiped from my eyes. I will reign and rule with God forever. It will be beyond description.

It really is all that simple. Do we believe this?

If so, then why do we complicate things so much? Why all the unbelief? Why do we look everywhere else to get our needs met except Jesus?

He alone can save. Even though we have sinned big, God's grace is bigger - even than the worst of our sins. Actually, the bigger our sins, the bigger God's grace poured out to us. Our capacity to sin can never outstrip the capacity of God to not only forgive, but to also transform us and change us into His children that reflect His glory. Amazing Grace.

As Charles Spurgeon once said, "Believe it and be happy."  God really does love us. 

Comments

[Dave Woodbury]

Thanks for the reminder. Excellent post.

[Gary Snowden]

A wonderful affirmation of Paul's words in Rom. 8:1, "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus."

[Les Puryear]

Alan,

Excellent post on the beauty of our salvation. Thank Jesus for His grace and mercy.

Les

[Debbie Kaufman]

Alan: This is a sermon and a truth that every time I hear it moves me. This message has moved me for the past nine years and it does so again. Thank you.

[Dave Miller]

Thanks, Alan.

I havve been really discouraged and upset - tired of interacting on blogs with people more interested in winning than in solutions (I know, my opinion.)

I made a decision, I am going to seek out some blogs that are more positive, more idea-focused. I found yours. What a breath of fresh air.

[Charles]

Thanks for the post and thanks for adding the photo. It allways reminds me that we all crucified Jesus but we he has forgiven us.
What a powerful picture and message.