On The Merits of His Forgiveness

God will forgive you, no matter what sin you have committed.

If you stop and really take the time to think about this elementary element of Christianity, it is truly amazing. God - Who made the Heavens and the Earth - cares about you.

I think that it is important to frequently revisit this. You can commit a wrong, and if you sincerely repent of the sin and ask for forgiveness, God will forgive you. 

"and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem." Luke 24:47, ESV

God is so very kind to us here - but have you ever stopped and asked why? Gods' kindness is to lead us to repentance. He will forgive you - but He expects us to repent of our sin.

Repentance is the active rejection of sin. 

"Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?" Romans 2:4, ESV  

Christianity is not a static faith, we cannot simply 'sign up' and be done with it. A Christian will bear fruit in keeping with repentance; namely we should try to actively avoid sin, and teach others the same. We have be given the greatest blessing and privilege, which is to know the Living God. 

Our blessing is that we can know that we have been forgiven when we confess and repent of sin - and because of this, we don't have a hinderance between us and God. We can freely with a clear conscience proclaim the Gospel to others - and knowing that we have been forgiven and given the gift of eternity with God only makes our message that much brighter. 

The Gospel is simple, literally the Good News of Christ, and can be summed up in a single verse:

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16, ESV

God loves you. Jesus came, lived a perfect life, and died in obedience to God the Father in payment for your soul. All that is required of you is to believe in Christ, and live accordingly. His burden is light, and all that is required of you is to repent of your sin, and out of love follow the teachings of Christ. 

The Gospel message is critically important to get out to others. Their life literally depends on their relationship with God. Their sin will lead them to eternity apart from God if they do not repent and follow Christ. God will receive them with open arms. God will forgive them if they truly repent and follow Christ, but it is important to lovingly show them this.

And it all starts with God's love, forgiveness, and our following Him and His commands.