Jesus @ Work: Forgiveness

We must adopt God’s thinking on forgiveness if we will ever

experience total freedom in Christ and experience “a peace

that passes all understanding.”

In Christ, we are forgiven (Col 2:13-14).  That’s GOOD NEWS!

The enemy loves it when God’s children feel unworthy to

approach their Father and crawl into His lap.  We’re trained to

PERFORM that way from childhood, jumping through hoops

to gain acceptance from parents, teachers, coaches, employers.

Folks, we must believe that we’re totally accepted and that

God doesn’t hold anything against us!  As an omniscient God,

He knows the sins of the past, present, and future.  Therefore,

His method of forgiveness is different than that of those of us

who are bound by time.  The only way for Him to obliterate any

barrier was to forgive us of ALL sins… past, present, and future.

Jesus bore ALL our sins 2000 years ago at the cross.  How

many sins had you committed 2000 years ago? None. They

were ALL future sins.

There are no Scriptures after the cross that require us to ask

God’s forgiveness.

Ever.

Not even in 1 John 1:9. Observe: “If we confess our sins

(agreeing with God), He is faithful and just (describes His

nature and His gracious covenant) to forgive our sins (once

for all time, using the MANY Scriptures to explain this One,

not vice versa) and cleanse us from all unrighteousness

(wash away, not merely cover).”

We are righteous in Christ, cleansed from all unrighteousness

(2 Cor 5:21). If we haven’t been cleansed, we’re in trouble,

because there’s no other Savior to do the job. Besides, in

1 John 1:1-10, John was clarifying his position on Gnosticism for

the churches; a belief that all matter was evil, including human

bodies; therefore, the Gnostics reasoned, Holy Jesus could NOT

have inhabited a nasty human body. John’s letter contrasts true

believers against the Gnostics over 30 times. John encourages and

reassures the Christians that he was addressing by reminding them,

“your sins are forgiven” in the very next chapter (1 Jn 2:12).

Seek the truth of God regarding His method of forgiveness

(Hosea 4:6).  We do not have a license to sin. Though, as

human beings, we cannot help but sin…often…we will not

WANT to sin because we have God’s laws written upon our

hearts and our desire will be to honor Him.  Thank God He

has taken us out from under the Law!

In ancient Greece, whenever a debt was paid, a certificate of

debt was issued as a receipt.  The word “tetelestai” was written

on the certificate and signed by the creditor.  John 19:30

records Jesus’ last words on the cross as being, “It is finished!”

In Greek, that translates as “Tetelestai!”

Confession has its place in the Christian lifestyle, too (James 5:16).

When the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin, we must confess it - or

agree that we messed up - and repent.  Admit it and quit it, in other

words. Then go and joyfully ACT forgiven, choosing to forgive others

as you go.

Chances are, you’ll sin again. If so, join the club. Trying not to sin is

like trying NOT to think about a glass bowl filled with red M&M

candies. His mercy is new every morning. That means that you start

fresh DAILY! Man, that’s good news! Jesus offered forgiveness from

the cross.  We, too, must offer forgiveness to those who trespass

against us. That way, through our loving actions, they may come to

know Jesus, the Great Forgiver.

MATTHEW
Matthew 6:14-15, “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your

heavenly Father also will forgive you; but if you do not forgive

men their trespasses neither will your father forgive your trespasses.”

Matthew 9:12-13, “ It is not those who are healthy who need a

physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this

means, I desire compassion and not sacrifice, for I did not come to

call the righteous but sinners.”

Matthew 12:31, “Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will

be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against then Spirit will not be

forgiven.”

Matthew 18:35, “ So also my heavenly Father will do to you if you

do not forgive your brother from your heart.”
MARK
Mark 2:5, “My son, your sins are forgiven.”

Mark 2:8-9, “Why do you question thus in your hearts? Which is

easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven’, or to say

‘Rise, take up your pallet and walk’?”

Mark 3:28-29, “Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons

of men, and whatever blasphemes they utter: but whoever

blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is

guilty of an eternal sin.”

Mark 11:24-26, “Therefore I say to you, all things for which you

pray and ask, believe that you have received it, and they shall be

granted to you. And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you

have anything against anyone; so that your Father also who is

in heaven may forgive you your transgressions.”
LUKE
Luke 5:32, “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to

repentance.”
Luke 7: 44-47, “you see this woman? You gave Me no water for

My feet, but she has wet My feet with her tears, and wiped them

with her hair. You gave Me no kiss, but she, since the time I came

in, has not ceased to kiss My feet. You did not anoint My head

with oil, but she anointed My feet with perfume. For this reason I

say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she

loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loved little.”
Luke 15:7, “I tell you, there will be more joy in Heaven over one

sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who

need no repentance.”
Luke 15:10, “I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over

one sinner who repents.”

Luke 17:3-4, “If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents,

forgive him; and if he sins against you seven times a day, and

returns to you seven times saying ‘I repent’, forgive him.”

Luke 23:34, “Father, forgive them; for they don’t know what they do.”

Luke 24:46-47, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and

on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and

forgiveness of sins should be preached in His name to all nations,

beginning from Jerusalem.”

JOHN

John 8:7, “Let him without is without sin among you be the first to

throw a stone at her.”

John 20:23, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive sins of any, they

are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

Forgiveness is Christianity in a word.

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Every blessing,
Michael Tummillo
A servant of God
eMail: team1min@our-town.com
www.YourTown4Jesus.com