Forgiveness

Forgiveness is the main reason why we should be so thankful to God.  It has been said many times now, that through the death and resurrection of Jesus we are forgiven of our sins and given a new life, a life that is in the process of being completed.  I would like to help you understand how you are forgiven of your sins.  So here is a crash course in hamartiology (the study of sin) and soteriology (the study of salvation).  First, we know that “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3:23).  Next, we find “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).  So there is a problem here.  If everyone sins, and sin causes death, we are all going to die!  Before you get freaked out, let’s keep going.  In the world’s most famous verse we read, “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).  Here is the solution God is going to send His Son to give us eternal life because He loves us!  But how is it going to work?  The next verse reads, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him” (John 3:17).  Interesting.  So Jesus didn’t come down to earth to tell us how bad we are?  Nope!  He came so that through Him we could be saved from the death that is required by our sins.  Now you might ask, why did He have to come down here to save us?  It is because sin requires death, a blood offering.  Much like in the Old Testament the Israelites had to sacrifce the pure lamb for the forgiveness of their sins, Jesus became that lamb for us.  John the Baptist spoke this concerning Jesus, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29).  Then we discover in Ephesians 1:7, “In him [Jesus] we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,”.  So you see, it was the death of Jesus that forgave our sins, and then with the resurrection we are imparted the new life.  But then again, when we are forgiven of our sins it gives us a new life free from the chains of death that are engaged by our sin.  This is why you cannot seperate the death from the resurrection, they go hand in hand.  I will leave you with one passage that is essential to understanding and accepting the forgiveness of your sins, especially take note of the last verse:

⁶If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. ⁷But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. ⁸ If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  -1 John 1:6-9

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