One basic fact of being a Christian is that it is not an easy life to live in this world. In fact Jesus tells us Himself that it is not going to be easy to follow Him, " In this world you will find tribulation, But be of good cheer for I have overcome the world, my peace I give you." Yes this is Jesus telling us that we will have trials and sorrows in our life but there is also the promise from Him that He will give us His peace. The area of peace I would like to share with you is forgiveness.The death of Jesus on the cross was not just that we might have eternal life. It was also a promise that you can live this life in this world in peace. His death paid in full for ours sins, past, present and future. Read that again slowly and follow me back into the Old testament. The Israelites weren't even across the Red sea when they were doubting God. Did God turn away? No, He loved them and parted a sea. They were in the desert and they wanted to turn back from thirst. Did God turn away? No, He loved them and brought forth water from a rock. The spies he sent into the promise land came back weak and doubted Him. Did He Turn away? No, He loved them, and after forty years He stopped a river and brought His children into the promised land. Time and time again His people sinned against Him, Worshiped false idols, disobeyed and took treasure, and worst of all did not worship Him at all.
Did God turn away? No. Did he punish them? Yes. But He punished them as only a faithful and loving Father would. You see even before He punished them He forgave them for He always delivered them from their punishment and brought them back home, back into the promised land and back into His love. Then he went a step further, He loved them and you even more. He became flesh, Sent His sinless son into this world to die a sinners death, so that you and I could put on Jesus' robe of transformation and be seen as God saw Him. Sinless and pure.
So you think to yourself, How could God forgive me this sin. How could God forgive me for what I did on that business trip? How could God forgive me for how weak I have been in prayer and worship of Him? How could God forgive me for giving into temptation so many times? How could He not? He sent His Son to suffer for you, to Die for you! We all sin, we all fail, we all give into temptation. Yes we are all flesh, but praise be to God that Jesus was not just flesh, He was God!
So please, Just walk up the hill, Kneel beneath the cross, open your heart and confess the temptations you gave into, confess the things you should have done, but did not, confess the things you did that you shouldn't have. Then Praise the God who shows us His mercy over and over again, For you see once you confess your sin He loves you so much He remembers then not. You don't have to say Father remember last week well I did it again. You are not only forgiven, for He tells us "Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more. (Heb. 8:12) .... So bow down and lift them up one by one, let go of the guilt, let go of the shame, let go of the pain and most of all let go of trying to be perfect for none of us are, Save one and you are now kneeling at His cross. Then Lift up your hands to God who not only forgives you but remembers them not. Then get up and allow the warmth of Jesus to fill your heart, Get back on His path smile and walk it again, for now you can be at peace, serve Him in peace and serve Him with a heart of love. For you are not only forgiven but He remembers them not.
