Forgiven

This is a concept that is very difficult for us humans. It is so difficult that God needed to come to earth and die for us so that we might be forgiven of our sins and cleansed of all unrighteousness.  I have been thinking a lot about how sinful I am and how great a God I have. Maybe you don’t think that way or you don’t know that God died for you.  So what do you do?

Romans 3:23 reminds us “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”  Perhaps you are saying, sin? I don’t do that, I am pretty good.  As it is written:

“There is no one righteous, not even one;

    there is no one who understands;

    there is no one who seeks God. 

All have turned away,

    they have together become worthless;

there is no one who does good,

    not even one.”(Romans 3:10-12).

This is pretty hard to grasp that there is none, no even one, except God in Christ Jesus who was the only sinless One. But God wants us back in fellowship with our Creator. He tells us that “the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). So God “showed His great love for us by sending His Son Christ to die for us while we were still sinners” (Romans 5:8).  What a gift for all mankind, provided we get it and do something about it. The something is not being good, because we cannot on our own. It is realizing this fact. “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is in believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved” (Romans 10:9-10).  In other words as Paul completes this truth for us, “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13).

Believing and confessing is the beginning of a new life, you will be “born again.”  Perhaps this scares you or even embarrasses you. You will be like one of those Bible beaters. Well through this conversion comes eternal life in heaven. Failing this change means life eternal in darkness, better know as hell. The choice is yours and mine. I have made this decision to be changed and follow Christ and it has made all the difference. What do I mean by that?  I have been changed forever, the old is gone and the new has come. All sins are forgiven, “as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us” (Psalms 103:12). He has compassion on His children, those who trust in Him. I feel His compassion. In fact if we go back to the beginning of this beautiful psalm it reads, “Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being praise His holy name. Praise the Lord and forget not all His benefits, who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases. Who lifts you life from the pit and fill you with His love and compassion. Who satisfies the desires of you heart with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s” (Psalm 103:1-5).  This hymn of God’s compassion speaks of His character. It is a truth lived out through me I can testify. It was 2001 and I was dying of tick-borne diseases the medical faculty of the University of Virginia Medical College had informed me. I lay unable to move, sweating through my bedclothes, pain riddling my body. I prayed the above verses out loud. Instantly I warm embrace, liken hot oil moved from my head to my feet. My joint were freed, my fever gone, I was totally healed. God had healed me in His compassionate grace and mercy.

I don’t know about you, but I think this is pretty amazing. I have committed my life to Him and through His Holy Spirit living within me I obey and submit to His awesome authority in my life. Make your decision now.