More Forgiveness (week 1)

It was awesome to watch people stream forward at the end of services this weekend to place their post-it note on the crosses. I pray it was a significant moment for you to release your sin and receive forgiveness from Jesus Christ!

I spoke briefly this weekend about the 4 ways God forgives.  Due to time limitations on the weekend, i could only mention them, but i believe they are significant enough to revisit.  Here they are again, with Scripture for you to meditate on.  Be blessed today!

God Forgives…

1)  Instantly – I’m so glad He doesn’t make us wait, the guilt would kill us.  When others hurt us, we often feel like we have the right to hold onto bitterness and anger; to make them earn our forgiveness over time.  Fortunately, God forgives us instantly!

Nehemiah 9:17 (NLT) 
“…But you are a God of forgiveness, gracious and merciful, slow to become angry, and full of unfailing love and mercy…”

Isaiah 55:7 (NLT)
“Let the people turn from their wicked deeds. Let them banish from their minds the very thought of doing wrong! Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.”

2)  Completely — The blood of Christ covers all our sin, everything!

Col. 2:13-14 (NLT) 
“You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ. He forgave all our sins. [14] He canceled the record that contained the charges against us. He took it and destroyed it by nailing it to Christ’s cross.“

3)  Repeatedly – I don’t know about you, but I feel like i’m often repeating the same prayer of repentance to God.  I can’t believe He continues to forgive me, time after time.  Note, His forgiveness doesn’t give us license to sin, it should challenge us to walk in purity!

Romans 3:23-24 (NLT) 
“For all have sinned; all fall short of God’s glorious standard. [24] Yet now God in his gracious kindness declares us not guilty. He has done this through Christ Jesus, who has freed us by taking away our sins.”

4)  Freely – This doesn’t mean there isn’t a cost.  Christ paid the price we could not pay.  He did it because He loves us and desires us to be in relationship with our heavenly Father.  The cost to us is our sacrifice.  As followers of Christ, our life is not ours, it belongs to Him.  Therefore we should live our lives differently.

Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV) 
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God– [9] not by works, so that no one can boast.”