The Forgiveness of Sins
Psalm 25:6-7
Remember your mercy, O Lord, and your steadfast love,
for they have been from of old.
Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
according to your steadfast love remember me,
for the sake of your goodness, O Lord!
Pastor Dan preached this week on the forgiveness of sins, and especially brought home the fact that we are excellent at suppressing the truth and minimizing our sin in a variety of ways. Without a right knowledge of how wicked our sins are, we can never seek forgiveness. The Holy Spirit rightly convicts us of sin against God and His law, and we thank Him for it, for otherwise we would never see and accept the truth!
The truth is, around 2000 years ago, Jesus descended from heaven to earth by the promised line of David and the virgin Mary as God incarnate and God the Son, fully God and fully man. The Messiah. He was perfect and sinless, yet was crucified on a cross by the world. That crucifixion paid the debt that we, as sinners, owe to God and can never repay. God’s wrath against our sin was poured out on Him that we may not have to incur it.
Isaiah 53:10
Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him;
he has put him to grief;
when his soul makes an offering for guilt,
he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;
the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
Three days later, He rose from the grave in a display of His glorious power, to rule and reign over all things and bring eternal hope to His people that repented and put their faith and trust in Him for their salvation. He shall see his offspring indeed: the church of God, the saints, and the bride of Christ.
Have you put your faith and trust in Him? Have you been convicted of your mortal sin by the Holy Spirit and been shown the true glory and holiness of God? Have you received the mercy and forgiveness of sins that only He can offer?
Remember that God’s wrath is just, but so is His mercy and love. He delights in us even though we are unworthy of it.
Psalm 18:19
He brought me out into a broad place;
he rescued me, because he delighted in me.
He made us and knows us, down to every cell and strand of DNA. He knows we are prone to wander, yet calls us home daily in love. He is love. His ways are upright and good, and we know not of them on our own. It is by his grace alone and through faith alone that we may be saved from our sin, and returned to a relationship with the King of the universe.
If you are a Christian, remember that the Lord is good today. Remember that He delights in you, and does not delight in sacrifices made with hands of obligation, ritual, and begrudging. Don't let the enemy steal the joy of your salvation! Let your obedience to the Lord be produced from the wellspring of joy!
Psalm 51:10-12
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and uphold me with a willing spirit.
It is impossible to obey without the joy of being brought near to Him. His Holy Spirit is with you to comfort and guide, and his arms are open, church! Continue your pursuit and run your race in His strength, and let your heart be filled with passion for Him, no matter the cost.
Let that passion overflow and let an unbeliever know the truth today. Once you’ve accepted that amazing grace, let it shine for others to see!
Psalm 104:4
He makes his messengers winds,
his ministers a flaming fire.
We take part in the angels’ work to spread the glorious Gospel of salvation across our world like wildfire, and by His grace and for His name’s sake, we must! The forgiveness of sins is the sweetest thing anyone could ever attain, for it brings the promise of eternal life through Christ. What an amazing God we serve. He saves us in spite of us. He is glorious, mighty, good, loving, holy, and worthy of all of our praise!
~ Alex Nicholson serves as the Music Director and Social Media Coordinator at LIFE Fellowship.