Here are three observations about forgiveness:
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.
Understanding this powerful three word phrase, It is finished!, connects the dots making God’s love real in our hearts.
Tag: Cross
Suffering Servant or Conquering King
Jesus wasn’t the Messiah the Jewish leadership was looking for. Nothing about Him met their vision of the one who was to be their king.
- He was born in a cave with a manger for His bed.
- He grew up in Nazareth, and can anything good come from there.
- He was the son of a carpenter.
- During His earthly ministry, He didn’t have a place to lay His head.
- On the day all Jewish eyes were on Him, He rode into town on a borrowed donkey.
- He was crucified on a cross as a common criminal.
This is hardly the picture of a conquering king. Suffering servant seems to be the most likely description for Jesus. Then you read His words: “Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” Luke 24:26
Jesus suffered in His body, as Peter wrote. He suffered death.
The way of suffering was actually His path to victory for you and me. Consider these verses.
- Hebrews 2:14-15 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death–that is, the devil– and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.
- Romans 6:6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin–
- 1 Corinthians 1:18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
Yes, Jesus was the suffering servant. His love for us marched Him to the cross where He served us to the fullest extent. In His suffering, however, He conquered Satan, sin and death, ending their rule and reign in our lives. This makes Him a conquering king.
The day you believed, your conquering King made His triumphal entry into your heart, where He rules and reigns today.