Forgiveness, What's it all about?
What is forgiveness?
I believe that there are 6 distinct parts to Forgiveness.
1. We desperately need it! It is a very urgent need. Romans 3:10 "There is no one righteous, not even one."
2. God doesn't just forgive our unrighteousness, He makes us Righteousness!
It is credited or transferred to our account! Romans 4:3 "What does the Scripture say? 'Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."
We are clothed in the righteousness of Christ
3. It is a gift given to us by the Grace of God. Not by works so that no one can boast.
1 Corinthians 1:28-31 "He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things -- and the things that are not -- to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God -- that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: 'Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.'"
4. Through forgiveness we are Redeemed in Christ.
Only through Christ can we receive redemption. One of the easiest ways of describing redemption is this: Imagine you are a slave. One day a man comes to your owner and asks to purchase you. You think great, now I have to work for this guy! Once the deal is done and the man takes you away from you former owner, he turns to you and says, "You are free, I have purchased your freedom."
This is the very thing that Christ did upon the cross. He gave up His life and took upon Himself all of our sin, past, present, and future. He, with His own life, His Blood, has purchased our lives and offered us freedom from sin and the devil. We just need to accept it.
5. He also offers us Propitiation in His Blood.
This means that through the Blood of Christ peace is made between us and God. God is Holy, perfect, Morally Pure, and Just. We are sinners and deserve the just punishment of Hell. But through the Blood of Christ and the finished work of the cross, God has made peace with us. Through Christ were are offered, righteousness, holiness, and redemption. Through Christs Blood we are made clean.
6. All of this comes through Faith. In Christ!
A. We come to a knowledge of who Christ is and what He has done for us. This comes in many different ways, but is always accompanied by a knock at the door of our hearts.
B. We choose to believe or reject that knowledge of who Christ is and what He has done for us. Like the saying from Riplys, "Believe it or Not."
C. If we choose to believe all that we have found out, then there comes commitment. Many, Many people stop at B. but the commitment is were the real joy and fulfillment of the Christian Faith comes in. We commit our lives to Christ and His purposes. We devote our lives to serving Christ.
I like to think about this phrase throughout my day: "What right do you have to enter My Heaven!"
That is such a great question and we must all answer it! What right do we have to enter into God's Heaven?"
I like also to think of my response:
I can do nothing to please you, God. Based on my life, I don't have any right to enter Your Heaven! But, Christ died for me and not only that, He was raised on the 3rd day and assented into Heaven to sit at your right hand, for me. I believe this with all my heart, with all my soul, with all my mind, and with all my strength. This is the only bases on which I would even dare to enter Your Heaven. I am not worth, I deserve the eternal punishment of Hell. But, I thank you for the wonderful gift of Your Son and in His name, Jesus Christ, I humbly ask that I may spend eternity with You in Heaven.
Thank you Jesus for the wonderful Grace gift of Forgiveness!
I believe that there are 6 distinct parts to Forgiveness.
1. We desperately need it! It is a very urgent need. Romans 3:10 "There is no one righteous, not even one."
2. God doesn't just forgive our unrighteousness, He makes us Righteousness!
It is credited or transferred to our account! Romans 4:3 "What does the Scripture say? 'Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."
We are clothed in the righteousness of Christ
3. It is a gift given to us by the Grace of God. Not by works so that no one can boast.
1 Corinthians 1:28-31 "He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things -- and the things that are not -- to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God -- that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: 'Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.'"
4. Through forgiveness we are Redeemed in Christ.
Only through Christ can we receive redemption. One of the easiest ways of describing redemption is this: Imagine you are a slave. One day a man comes to your owner and asks to purchase you. You think great, now I have to work for this guy! Once the deal is done and the man takes you away from you former owner, he turns to you and says, "You are free, I have purchased your freedom."
This is the very thing that Christ did upon the cross. He gave up His life and took upon Himself all of our sin, past, present, and future. He, with His own life, His Blood, has purchased our lives and offered us freedom from sin and the devil. We just need to accept it.
5. He also offers us Propitiation in His Blood.
This means that through the Blood of Christ peace is made between us and God. God is Holy, perfect, Morally Pure, and Just. We are sinners and deserve the just punishment of Hell. But through the Blood of Christ and the finished work of the cross, God has made peace with us. Through Christ were are offered, righteousness, holiness, and redemption. Through Christs Blood we are made clean.
6. All of this comes through Faith. In Christ!
A. We come to a knowledge of who Christ is and what He has done for us. This comes in many different ways, but is always accompanied by a knock at the door of our hearts.
B. We choose to believe or reject that knowledge of who Christ is and what He has done for us. Like the saying from Riplys, "Believe it or Not."
C. If we choose to believe all that we have found out, then there comes commitment. Many, Many people stop at B. but the commitment is were the real joy and fulfillment of the Christian Faith comes in. We commit our lives to Christ and His purposes. We devote our lives to serving Christ.
I like to think about this phrase throughout my day: "What right do you have to enter My Heaven!"
That is such a great question and we must all answer it! What right do we have to enter into God's Heaven?"
I like also to think of my response:
I can do nothing to please you, God. Based on my life, I don't have any right to enter Your Heaven! But, Christ died for me and not only that, He was raised on the 3rd day and assented into Heaven to sit at your right hand, for me. I believe this with all my heart, with all my soul, with all my mind, and with all my strength. This is the only bases on which I would even dare to enter Your Heaven. I am not worth, I deserve the eternal punishment of Hell. But, I thank you for the wonderful gift of Your Son and in His name, Jesus Christ, I humbly ask that I may spend eternity with You in Heaven.
Thank you Jesus for the wonderful Grace gift of Forgiveness!
posted by Mark 1:17 at 2:45 PM
1 Comments:
Wow! Great post! I love especially that you use the word "propitiation". A lot of theologians and other "scholars" are afraid to use that word, but in my own theological studies, I've realised that it describes best the process of our redemption. I devoted a significant portion of a paper to that idea, in fact!
I just want to say that I've enjoyed our discussion on religion, and I hope you haven't taken any of it personally. I'm not intentionally trying to be antagonistic.
Your brother in Christ
Gregory
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