Forgiveness

What does it really mean to be forgiven?

The Lord said, '' Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.'' (Isaiah 1:18)

You are holy and blameless as you stand before Him without a single fault (Colossians 1:22)

Forgiveness means that God looks at you as though you had never sinned.
When you receive his forgiveness, you are blameless before Him.
When God forgives, He doesn't sweep your sins under the carpet; instead, He completely washes them away.

Love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! (Matthew 5:44)

Forgiveness paves the way for harmonious relationships, even with your enemies.

Our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. (Romans 6:6)

You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for He forgave all our sins (Colossians 2:13)

Forgiveness brings great joy because you are no longer a captive to your sinful nature.

Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:38)

Forgiveness of sins allows you to receive the gift of God's Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit allows you to tap into the very power of God to help you battle temptation and to guide you through life.


How do I receive God's loving forgiveness?

If my people...will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins. (2 Chronicles 7:14)

If we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us (1 John 1:9)

Confessing sin is the first step to forgiveness.

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. (Romans 10:9-10)

After you ask for forgiveness, you simply have to accept he gift of forgiveness. Receiving God's forgiveness is the only way you can have the assurance of eternal life in heaven.


Can any sin be forgiven? There must be some sin too great to be forgiven.

Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved (Joel 2:32)

[Jesus said.] ''I tell you the truth, all sin...can be forgiven.'' (Mark 3:28)

Nothing can ever separate us from God's love. (Romans 8:38)

Forgiveness is not based on the magnitude of the sin but on the magnitude of the forgiver's love.
No sin is too great for God's complete and unconditional love..
The bible does actually mention one unforgivable sin--an attitude of defiant hostility toward God that prevents us from accepting his forgiveness.
Those who don't want His forgiveness are out of its reach.


How can I forgive someone who has hurt me deeply?

If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins. (Matthew 6:14-15)

Being unwilling to forgive shows that you have not understood or benefited from God's forgiveness.

Love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! (Matthew 5:44)

Pray for those who hate and hurt you. This releases you from the destructive emotions of anger, bitterness, and revenge and helps you to forgive those who have hurt you.

Jesus said, ''Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they are doing.'' (Luke 23:24)

Jesus forgave even those who mocked and killed Him. Be more concerned about your offenders and their relationship with God and less about nursing your own grudges and self-pity.

Don't repay evil for evil. Don't retaliate with insults when people insults you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and He will bless you for it. (1 Peter 3:9)

When people say hurtful things about you, God wants you to respond by blessing them.

Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. (Ephesians 4:31)

An unforgiving attitude not only ruins your relationships but also poison your soul. The person most hurt by unforgiveness is you.

Promise from God: I--yes, I alone--will blot out your sins for my own sake and will never think of them again. (Isaiah 43:25)


Touchpoints

Adversity

Is God listening when I cry out because of my troubles? Does He really hear, and does he care?

In my distress I cried out to the Lord; yes, I prayed to my God for help. He heard me from his sanctuary; my cry to him reached his ears. (Psalm 18:6)

Jesus said, ''Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.'' (Matthew 11:28)

God's hotline is always open. There is never a busy signal, and He is never too preoccupied with anything--even managing the universe--to listen to your every need. God has both a listening ear and a caring heart.


Will being faithful to God spare me from adversity?

(Daniel 3:16-20)

The high priest and his officials, who were Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. (Acts 5:17-18)

The lives of believers in both the Old and New Testaments testify that being faithful to God does not eliminate adversity.
When you believe in Jesus, Satan becomes your enemy. He will try to stop you from following God by sending you all kind of adversity. Recognize that it may be a sign that you are being faithful to God

The Lord is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust in Him. (Nahum 1:7)

In most cases, the Bible doesn't say 'if' trouble will come, but 'when' trouble comes. No one has lived his or her life without some adversity.

He will conceal me..when troubles come; He will hide me in his sanctuary. He will place me out of reach on a high rock...Hear me as I pray, O LORD. Be merciful and answer me! My heart has heard you say, '' Come and talk with me.'' And my heart responds, ''Lord, I am coming.'' (Psalm 27:5, 7-8)

Sometimes God does rescue you from adversity because of your faithfulness.


Is there any way I can avoid trouble and adversity?

When troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. (James 1:2-3)

Avoiding adversity may not be best for you. Though hard times may bruise you, they also can build you up and strengthen your faith.

The wise are cautions and avoid danger; fools plunge ahead with reckless confidence. (Proverbs 14:16)

Clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don't let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires. (Romans 13:14)

The consequences of sin often bring unneeded adversity into your life. By obeying God's Word, you can avoid many kinds of adversity you might otherwise inflict on yourself.

The crooked heart will not prosper; the lying tongue tumbles into trouble. (Proverbs 17:20)

Watch your tongue and keep your mouth shut, and you will stay out of trouble. (Proverbs 21:23)

Controlling your tongue can help you avoid adversity. Many times trouble can be avoided by using words wisely.


Promise from God: God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1)


Touchpoints

Acceptance

How should I accept others?

Others began coming -- men who were in trouble or in debt or who were just discontented -- until David was the captain of about 400 men. (1 Samuel 22:2)

Accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory. (Romans 15:7)

Welcome others in the spirit of Christ, not because of position, prestige, power, or personal gain that may come your way.
David modeled this acceptance of others while he was fleeing from Saul.
As a developing leader, David learned that it wasn't simply a matter of getting the best people but of bringing out the best in the people God brought to him.


What if others have committed terrible sin? Should I still accept them?

Nothing...will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:39)

Nothing can separate a person from God's love.
In the same way, you should always love others, no matter how great their sin.
This does not mean that you accept or condone their sinful actions or ignore the appropriate discipline but that you view and accept them as unique and special creations of God.
It is through love that you bring sinful people back into fellowship with God and others.


I feel so unworthy -- does God really accept me?

God created human beings in this own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them (Genesis 1:27)

God showed his great love by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinner. (Romans 5:8)

Even before he make the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.
God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ.
This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.
(Ephesians 1:4-5)

You are accepted by God because he made you and created you in his image.
Nothing you can do will cause God to love you more because he loves you completely.
And nothing you do can cause God to love you less.
In fact, God accepts you and loves you so much that He sent his own Son to die for you, to take on himself the punishment for sin you deserve.
He died in your place so you can be accepted into eternity with him.


What should I never accept?

During the eighth of His reign, while he was still young, Josiah began to seek the God of his ancestor David.... He ordered that the altars of Baal be demolished and that the incense altars which stood above them be broken down. (2 chronicles 34:3-4)

Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires (Romans 6:12)

Never accept or tolerate sin in your life.
Never feel satisfied that you sin less than someone else.
Everyone has a sinful nature, and everyone has certain sins to which he or she is particularly vulnerable.
If you leave sins unchecked, no matter how small, they will begin to grow and spread like malignant tumors, affecting all you think and do

Promises from God: Accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory. (Romans 15:7)


Touchpoints

Abandonment

Does God abandon me during my difficult times?

Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for you. (Psalm 9:10)
We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed (2 Corinthians 4:9)

God is always trying to get your attention. Are you aware of him?
If you are sincerely seeking Him, you are sure to find Him because God will never abandon a seeking person. In fact, your difficulties can become the means to look more intently and see God, right by your side.


Does my suffering mean that God has abandoned me?

The Lord will not abandoned His people. (1 Samuel 12:22)
In his kindness God called you to share in His eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. (1 Peter 5:10)

Suffering does not mean God has left you. In fact, it is through suffering that you can experience God's comfort more than ever.


Does God promise to be with me at certain times but no at others?

Jesus came and told his disciples...''Be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.'' (Matthew 28:18,20)
[Jesus said] '' I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you.'' (John 14:16)
Be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, ''I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.'' (Hebrews 13:5)

God promises to be present with you, in you, and beside you in all circumstances.


Are there things I should abandon, even in these days of tolerance?

This is what God says to all humanity: ''The fear of the Lord is true wisdom; to forsake evil is real understanding.'' (Job 28:28)
Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. (Ephesians 4:31)

Persistent sin will cause you to abandon God.
Persistently obeying God will cause you to abandon much sin, which is important even in these days of tolerance.



Promise from God: I will never fail you. I will never abandon you. (Hebrews 13:5)


Touchpoints

Salvation of Jesus Christ

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)

For the wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23)

Man sinned, the wages of sin is death, the price that you have to pay for you sin is DEATH!

'Death' is not simply the ''dying of your flesh'', life is not just about your body, what matters is your SOUL!
'Death' here means that You are separated from God.

Sin separates us from God.
Sin against a holy God separates us from Him, bringing judgment and spiritual death.
An unholy being cannot live in the presence of a Holy God.

We have no way to repair this relationship because all of us have sinned, we are all sinner.
And 'death' is the price that we all must pay for our sin.

But God don't want us to Die! HE love us and want to reconcile this relationship.
Therefore He sent his Son, Jesus Christ to the world to die for us, he died on the cross and was resurrected.
Jesus Christ took our place and receive the punishment that our sins demanded.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

Our relationship with God is therefore reconciled!
The power of 'Death' no longer have authority on us!

Through the blood of Jesus Christ, our sins were forgiven!
This is what salvation is all about.
All we have to do is just BELIEVE in HIM and we ''shall not perish but have eternal life.''
Perish means eternal death--eternal separation from God.
Eternal life means your relationship with God is recovered, and you will live forever with God.

For it is BY GRACE you have been saved, THROUGH FAITH—and this is not from yourselves, it is the GIFT of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:8-10)

We're still sinner because we are still bound by this material world, we still sin.
Yet, we are saved because Jesus died for us upon the cross and our sins were forgiven.

Being saved, means your sins no longer count against you and you are spared from an eternal death sentence. Instead, they are forgiven by the grace of God, and you are given the free gift of eternal life. Being saved does not spare you from earthly troubles, but it does save you from eternal punishment.


Lastly,
How can we be saved?

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. (Romans 10:9-10)

<sup>This is the greatest gift God could ever offer -- life in a perfect world -- is absolutely FREE!
You just have to accept it by:
1. agreeing with God that you have sinned,
2. acknowledging that your sins cuts you off from God,
3. asking Jesus to forgive your sins, and
4. believing that Jesus is Lord over everything and He is the Son of God.

The gift is yours.</sup>