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Forgiveness Sets Us Free



The last page of the calendar is now showing prominently and a blanket of snow covers our lands under a blanket of glistening flakes and sparkling powder. This image reminds me of the words of the Lord in Isaiah 1:18, “…Although your sins are like scarlet, I will make them white as snow….”

Forgiveness can set us free from many things. Forgiveness of sins is a message of hope and a promise of being reconciled to God through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. That is a message we need to hear always and especially in the weeks leading to Christmas Day.

People need to know that there is a hope for the future….a way to make amends for mistakes and a way to recover from regrets of wasted time and life passed. Life is hard, challenging and even sometimes discouraging, if not, life-altering.

The Holiday season can, sometimes, magnify these troubling issues to make them seem worse than they really are. We need help rising above these challenges the world (and life) throws at us.

The Bible is very clear in 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” We cling to this assurance that God can redeem and set-right anything we have ever done up until now.

Here are a few promises from Scripture:

* Psalm 103:10, “He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.”

* Psalm 130:3-4, “Lord, if you kept a record of our sins, who, O Lord, could ever survive? But you offer forgiveness, that we might learn to fear you.”

* 1 John 2:1-2, “My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. 2 He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.”

Jesus is our hope….your hope to overcome our past and to help us cope with today and the future. Our inherited sinfulness should not become a crippling obstacle that provides an avenue to go spiraling into a defeated lifestyle. God will forgive. God wants to forgive. We must be willing to confess what we’ve done and ask God for that forgiveness.

God wants us to set you free. And better yet….when God forgives you, he lets it go. God will NEVER bring up your past or “rub your nose in it” if you fall and sin again. God doesn’t keep records or “keep score” of your sins once they are forgiven.

Here is the key: when God forgives it is forgiven, so with that truth you need to let it go, too! When God forgives….then forgive yourself. That is healthy and crucial to moving forward. Forgiveness always works in a three way pattern: one – God forgives me; two – I forgive myself; and three – I forgive those who have wronged (sinned against) me.

Discover a newfound joy and freedom through forgiveness this Advent and Christmas holiday. Let go of stubborn feelings and the anger of what others have done to you. Break free by allowing God’s forgiveness to redeem your past to give you a brighter and more hopeful future.  

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