Saturday, October 27, 2012

Forgiveness

No one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.  This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.  God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood (Romans 3:20-25).

Why do you need to be forgiven? That’s what Christians always talk about—the need to be forgiven.  But what’s the big deal? 

Part of it has to do with guilt.  Every one of us has reason to feel guilty—we break promises, we say hurtful things, we ignore people who need our attention.  Carrying guilt around can be exhausting and depressing.  Guilt can make your heart shut down, cutting you off from others.  Guilt can even drive some people to suicide.

Forgiveness takes away your guilt.  Forgiveness cuts the chains that tie you to past mistakes.  Forgiveness gives you a future that’s worth living for.

Another reason that forgiveness is necessary has to do with relationships.  We all hurt each other.  We get stubborn when we should compromise.  We use people instead of appreciating them.  When we don’t get our way, we insult others or make fun of them.  Such behavior tears down relationships, leaving us bitter and alone.

Forgiveness restores broken relationships.  Forgiveness calls a truce to hostilities so that healing can take place.  Forgiveness is a lubricant that allows people to work together without friction.

But the most important reason you need forgiveness is because you’re a sinner.  God made you and me and everyone else; He gives us food and shelter, family and friends, work and leisure.  But He does have expectations—we are to be perfect like Him.  He says be holy, because I the LORD your God, am holy (Leviticus 19:2).  God gives us rules to follow so we can know what He expects.  But we don’t obey Him, not perfectly.  We ignore His rules when following them is inconvenient.  We don’t pray to Him unless we want something.  We act as if He can’t see and hear what we’re doing.

This makes God angry.  His punishment is awful and eternal.  That’s why you need forgiveness.  When you are forgiven, God smiles on you.  When you are forgiven, God opens heaven to you.  When you are forgiven, you can have confidence because God is on your side.

How does God forgive us?  What is the process that He uses to free us from our sins? Some people think that God just waves His hand and makes sin go away.  But God doesn’t act like that.  God values justice; to let a crime go unpunished would go against His very nature.  Besides, God never breaks His promises, and He has said repeatedly that sin will be punished.  God does not make idle threats; you can always take Him at His word.

So how does God forgive sin?  Does He expect us to pay it off somehow?  No, because that is impossible.  Jesus showed how impossible this is when He asked the question, what can a man give in exchange for his soul? (Matthew 16:26)  Everything we have comes from God; whatever we would offer in restitution belongs to Him already. 

Does God expect us to earn His forgiveness by working hard for it?  Again, the answer is no—such a thing is impossible.  God expects us to be holy every moment of our lives.  Each minute used to commit sin is lost forever; we cannot add extra years to our time on earth to make up for what’s been wasted.

Does God offer forgiveness when we meet certain conditions?  This too is wrong.  Paul writes, it is God who works in you, to will and to act according to his good purpose (Philippians 2:13).  Jesus said, I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing (John 15:5).  We can only please God when He acts within us; anything good that we do is to His credit, not ours.

God forgives us by transferring our guilt to someone else.  This is why Jesus came into the world.  The Son of God became our elder brother to take responsibility for our sins.  When He suffered on the cross, Christ bore the punishment that our sins had incurred.  Despite our sins, God loves us; He does not want us suffer, even though we deserve to.  There was just one way to punish sin yet spare us at the same time—and so Jesus became our scapegoat.  This satisfied holy justice and ensured that God’s promises were kept—yet at the same time, this tremendous act of love spared us from eternal agony in hell.

God offers us forgiveness as a gift, pure and simple.  Picture it like a court of law.  You have been brought to trial; everyone knows that you’re an habitual offender.  The case is open and shut—there is no question as to your guilt.  When the judge asks if you have anything to say before announcing his verdict, you fall to your knees and beg him for mercy.  Then, to your astonishment, the judge shows leniency—he declares you not guilty and sets you free.  You are made innocent solely by the judge’s authority, because He has a merciful heart.  That’s how God forgives you.  When He speaks words of mercy, all past mistakes are forgotten.  Psalm 103 says, he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us

Why would God show you such undeserved leniency?  It’s all because of Jesus.  Life and forgiveness and love are all linked together by Christ.  Without love, forgiveness does not exist; without forgiveness, life ends in hell. 

Life and forgiveness are connected.  Hebrews chapter nine says, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.  In Romans Paul says, the wages of sin is death; it is only by sacrificing life that sin can be forgiven.  If sin is not forgiven, the result is eternal death in hell.

But who would be willing to die so that another might live?  Jesus said, Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.  You are my friends (John 15:13-14).  Paul writes, God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8)

Love took Jesus to the cross—love that wants to keep us forever at His side.  On the cross, Jesus suffered and died so you could be forgiven and rise from the grave.  In Christ, we see love and forgiveness and life tied together in a beautiful, mysterious way.  Love, forgiveness, and life: these are God’s gifts to you; He gives them freely through the hands of His Son. 

So how important is it to believe in Jesus?  God loves everyone; He sent Jesus to die for us all.  But some people take this truth and run with it in the wrong direction.  Their reasoning goes like this: “If God loves everyone, and Jesus died for everyone, then everyone will go to heaven.”  Regrettably, that conclusion is not true.

God wants everyone to be free from sin and live with Him forever.  Jesus made this possible; He did everything needed to forgive our sins.  But our sins are not forgiven unless we ask them to be. I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live! (Ezekiel 18:32)

Jesus is the only way for sinful people to approach the holy God and be welcome.  John writes, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One (1 John 2:1).  But Jesus only speaks in defense of those who are His friends.  When asked Lord, are only a few people going to be saved? Jesus said, Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.  Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, `Sir, open the door for us.’ But he will answer, `I don't know you' (Luke 13:23-25).

Without Jesus, heaven is closed to us.  Our Lord said, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me (John 14:6).  The apostles said, believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved (Acts 16:31).  God has appointed the Savior to be our go-between with heaven; John writes this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ (1 John 3:23)

Jesus said, repent and believe the Good News! (Mark 1:15)  Forgiveness is free to anyone who asks for mercy in Jesus’ name, trusting that His blood poured out in death washes away our sins and gives us new life.  There is no other requirement—just trust in Jesus as your Lord and Savior.  He forgives your sins so you can live with Him forever in paradise.

This is what the Reformation was all about.  Martin Luther wanted to clear away all the wrong ideas that people had about forgiveness, so everyone could experience the full joy of God’s mercy.  This weekend, share the message of the Reformation with someone else.  Tell them about Jesus, who gives love, forgiveness, and life.  Share the wonderful gift that God has given to you.

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