Forgiveness ranks as the number one topic of discussion on the Basic Gospel broadcast. Here are three things we have learned from all the questions that have been asked about this critical issue:
- The forgiveness of God is greatly misunderstood,
- People like to argue about forgiveness,
- 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. The sad reality was I believed what I did after I sinned was more important in securing forgiveness than the shed blood of Jesus Christ.
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.
God has forgiven the sins of the world.
2Cor 5:18-19 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them…..
So, according to the word of God, God reconciled us. Who was reconciled? The world. That means everyone. What does it mean He reconciled the world?
Not counting people’s sin’s against them.
That is what God did in order to save us. First he had to do away with sin so that we COULD be saved. Salvation is eternal life and eternal life cannot be ours if God WERE counting our sins against us.
Romans 5:10 For if, WHILE WE WERE GOD’S ENEMIES, we were RECONCILED to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been RECONCILED, shall we be saved through his life!
So God reconciled the world, while the world were his enemies, by the death of His Son Jesus. That means forgiven, not counting our sins against us. However, being forgiven does not save anyone or else all would be saved. Rather, we are saved by receiving His life and that life is eternal because God is no longer counting our sins against us.
Only those that believe this are saved, for if you do not believe this, then you do not believe God and Jesus tells us that whoever does not believe remains condemned.
For those that believe that as you sin, you must get forgiven, they are denying the word of God that declares God remembers our sins no more. Their unbelief is demonstrated by their efforts to get forgiven.
Take heart though, God is patient, not wanting any to perish but to change their mind about Jesus and be saved.