Post by Cindy on Jun 27, 2024 6:53:56 GMT -5
The forgiveness of God is based, not on His duty to forgive us, for He has no obligation to do so, but on His love. For God so loved the world that He gave His Son...’ (John 3:16). What God did with our sin wasn't to ignore it, but to put it on Jesus so that its wages would be paid off in His death. Jesus was willing to do this (John 10:18). When wrong is done, someone must absorb the loss if there is to be reconciliation. Otherwise there will be a stalemate or endless cycle of retaliation & revenge. Jesus has absorbed the loss for our sin, taking our punishment on Himself. This isn't because of anything excusable in us, but simply because He's loved us enough to forgive us.What God says is, ‘Forgiven is forgiven.’ What God no longer condemns is not condemned, and that includes us (Rom. 8:1).
To receive forgiveness we don’t need to approve of what we've done or even ‘come to peace with it’. The things we have done may indeed be detestable, but the basis of forgiveness isn't feeling good about the sin or sinner. The basis is the love of God, your love for Him and His love for you. God loves us and we must accept and live in His forgiveness ( John 8:31–36; Rom. 5:8, 11).
We may have trouble receiving forgiveness because forgiveness means leaving condemnation behind, and many of us are so accustomed to self-condemnation or what we perceive to be God’s condemnation, that we would feel lost without it. To be forgiven is a change in our thinking. It means I must now live as forgiven. God wants us to humble ourselves and then walk in obedience to Him. One of those acts of obedience is to no longer entertain thoughts of self-condemnation or the condemnation of God since He has declared us forgiven in Christ. If we are not to live in condemnation, what would He have us do? Perhaps the prophet said it best: He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8) By breaking the stranglehold of sin Jesus has secured for us the basis on which we are forgiven and the basis on which we can forgive.
Christianity and change
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