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Month: March 2012

A Good Divorce

Posted on by Bob Christopher

Divorce happens.
It is not supposed to. God’s design for marriage has been and is “one man, one woman, until death do they part.” Here is the Bible’s last word on the subject:
To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife. 1 Corinthians 7:10-11 (NIV)
It was never in God’s mind for a man to marry a woman and then dismiss her from his care and concern, to send her away and take no further notice of her.
Even though God does not condone divorce when it comes to marriage, He does condone it when it comes to our sins.
The word rendered divorce in the above passage is the Greek word aphiemi. Most everywhere else in the New Testament this word is translated as forgive or forgiveness. We find this word in the Lord’s Prayer, in Romans 4:7 where Paul wrote, “blessed are they whose sins are forgiven”, and in 1 John 1:9 and 2:12. This last verse is one of my favorites in the word of God: “I write to you dear children because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.”
When the Bible speaks of forgiveness it is saying to us that God has divorced us from our sins. Which means He has…

  • Removed our sins from us – Psalm 103:12
  • Sent our sins away – Hebrews 9:28
  • Dismissed our sins – Romans 4:7
  • Let our sins go from His further notice or care – Hebrews 10:17, 18
  • Released us from our relationship with sin and death and set us free to experience new life in Christ – Romans 8:1, 2.

Only God has the authority and the power to forgive. Through the shed blood of Christ He has forgiven us once and for all. He has divorced us from our sins and raised us to walk in the newness of life.
Divorce happens, but when it comes to our sins it is a good divorce.

I Can't Forgive Myself

Posted on by Bob Christopher

“I know God has forgiven me, but I am having a hard time forgiving myself.”
This might be your situation. If so, you are not alone. Many people find it difficult to forgive themselves.
Look underneath the hood of this perplexing problem and three main causes emerge.

  1. People who struggle with forgiving themselves also struggle with God’s forgiveness. They may say they know that God has forgiven them, but the fact they cannot forgive themselves indicates that they are not resting in Christ’s finished work on the cross.
  2. People wrestling with forgiving themselves constantly dwell on the sins of the past. Whenever a person dwells on past mistakes and the consequences of those mistakes, they experience guilt, shame and fear in their present. These feelings mask the truth that Christ has taken away their sins and that forgiveness is theirs.
  3. People wrestling with forgiving themselves struggle with a poor self-image. Rather than seeing themselves through God’s eyes, they see themselves in light of their sins. They may verbalize their identity in Christ, but in their hearts they still see themselves as sinners.

The path to experiencing personal forgiveness starts at the cross.
Step one is to rest in the finished work of Christ, thanking Him for the forgiveness you have in Him.

  • He died once for all of your sins. He took them away, nailing them to the cross.
  • He remembers your sins no more.
  • In Him, you are forgiven people.

Step two is to leave your past behind.

  • Since God does not remember you sins, it doesn’t make sense for you to keep dredging them up.
  • The word forgiveness means to send away or to let go. This conveys the idea of letting sins go from ones further notice or care. Jesus judged sin, he condemned sin and he paid the penalty for sin in full. He did it all.
  • Choosing not to dwell on the past is an attitude that grows out of this liberating truth.

Step three is to embrace your identity in Christ.

  • No longer are you called a sinner. God declares you to be His child. You may not feel or act like a child of God at times, but this does not change the truth.
  • God sent his Spirit into your hearts to bear witness with your human spirit that we are a child of God. This testimony breaks the bonds of fear in your life and gives confidence to draw near to God.

If you are struggling with forgiving yourself, step fully into the forgiveness of God and rest in Christ’s finished work on the cross. His forgiveness will enable you to keep your past in the past and will help you live in your identity as a child of God.

What is Repentance?

Posted on by Bob Christopher

This month’s theme on our radio broadcast has been forgiveness. We have had wonderful questions on the topic, plus some lively discussion.
There is strong push back to the liberating truth of our total and complete forgiveness in Christ. Behind most of that push back is the concept of repentance.
I throw this question out: how do you define repentance?
Let me tell you what is not before you answer. Repentance is not asking God for forgiveness when you sin. Yet, this is the most commonly held belief. When asked, “what do you do when you sin?” those who hold this belief answer, “you repent, you confess your sin and ask God to forgive you.”
Lot’s of people, both believers and unbelievers, follow this formula, but nothing changes in their lives.
Repentance is a big word that carries profound implications. That said, what is your definition of repentance?
I look forward to reading your posts. Tune in this Thursday for the radio broadcast as we take a closer look at this life-changing word.

Faith, Confidence and the Presence of God

Posted on by Bob Christopher

This room was strictly off limits. Only the High Priest was allowed to enter and only once a year. When he did enter, he had to take a blood sacrifice.
The Israelites knew it as the Holy of Holies, God’s earthly dwelling place. To enter into this room was a death sentence. What sinful man could survive in His holy presence?
A thick curtain blocked the entry. It stood for 1500 years as a warning sign to the people of Israel. “Do not enter” was the message. No one dared to go in. As long as the Mosaic Covenant stood, so did the curtain.
But that covenant came to an end. Christ’s death brought it to its completion and marked the beginning of the New Covenant. This was not an ordinary day. The earth shook, the dead came out of their graves, the curtain tore from top to bottom.
If you had been at the temple that day, you would have witnessed a supernatural event, an invisible power ripping through the thick veil. Think about standing there and seeing the inside of the most Holy place for the first time, that opening enticing you to go in. Would you have had the guts to enter?
Did anyone? The Bible doesn’t say. Some thirty years the later the Temple was destroyed, the Holy of Holies was gone. But, as the writer of Hebrews wrote, this temple was merely a copy of the heavenly throne. Christ’s blood grants us access to this throne of grace. We are encouraged to go boldly in.
“Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.” (Hebrews 10:19-22 NIV)
The blood of Jesus opened the way. He is our confidence to enter into the true Holy of Holies and experience the presence of God. We have nothing to fear, or any barriers to overcome. God is there welcoming us with open arms. In this holy place, we receive grace and mercy to help us in our time of need. Be courageous, draw near to Him in full assurance of faith.

Three Words that can Change Your Life

Posted on by Bob Christopher

In the 26 years of the People to People radio broadcast, forgiveness ranks as the number one topic of discussion. Here are three things we have learned from all the questions that have been asked about this critical issue:
1. The forgiveness of God is greatly misunderstood,
2. People like to argue about forgiveness,
3. People long to have forgiveness.
You can understand why forgiveness is such a hot topic. All of us sin. This reality raises numerous questions in our minds.
• What do I do when I sin?
• How can I know that God has forgiven my sin?
• If He has forgiven me, why do I keep doing the same sin over and over?
Here is the good news. All of these questions are answered by the three words Jesus uttered from the cross, “It is finished!” Jesus paid the debt in full. Nothing more needs to be done, or can be done concerning forgiveness of sins.
I wished I had known this truth early in life.
With each sin I committed in those days, I felt I needed to do something to get it forgiven. I prayed. I promised. I studied the Bible. I made deals with God. But nothing changed.
I wanted His forgiveness so badly, but in spite of all my efforts, I never felt forgiven.
The glorious truth is that there was nothing I could do to gain God’s forgiveness. Jesus had already done the work. He forgave all of my sins. His shed blood took them away once and for all.
When His finished work finally hit my heart, the weight of guilt lifted from my shoulders. And something even better happened. The love of God broke through to my soul. It was the first time that I knew, I mean really knew, that He loved me.
This is what I wanted more than anything. I think we all want to truly know that God loves us. Forgiveness is the truth that makes God’s love real to us.
Just three simple words comprise the most powerful, life-changing phrase in the entire Bible.
It is finished!
These three words can change your life.

Don't Forget This One Thing

Posted on by Bob Christopher

Growth.
Transformation.
These two words characterize those who know Jesus Christ.
At least they should.
However, far too many believers live stymied lives. They want to grow and change, yet they never seem to mature in their faith. This isn’t a new phenomenon, something that has popped up in our day and age. The writer of Hebrews made this observation: “In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!” (Hebrews 5:12 NIV)
We can’t live on milk forever. At some point, it is time to move on toward maturity, to grow in grace and be transformed by the knowledge of Christ Jesus. What keeps this from happening?
The Apostle Peter answers clearly and profoundly.
But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins. (2 Peter 1:9 NIV)
Forgetting this one thing stops spiritual growth and transformation dead in its tracks. That one thing is the fact, the liberating truth, that you have been cleansed and forgiven of all sin.
Forget and you become nearsighted. You can’t see anything beyond you — your guilt and shame, your weaknesses and struggles, your fears and frustrations..
Forget and you become blind. Your spiritual eyes become shut to all that Christ has done and is doing in your life.
Forgiveness is the key to growth and transformation in Jesus Christ. Step onto that foundation and rest confidently in the truth that your sins have been taken away once and for all.
When you do, strap on your spiritual seatbelt and be prepared to experience the power of God’s love and grace to grow you in your knowledge of Christ and transform you into His image.
Just don’t forget. In Christ, you are a forgiven person.