My favorite kids,
It's Dad again, this time with part 2. My hope today is that after reading this you will be filled with awe and wonder at how great Jesus is.
I used to feel guilty and unsure about my sins. I prayed for forgiveness every night, but I never felt free. It was a heavy load. It made me sad. It didn't make sense. Why would Jesus die for me if I still had to worry about my sins? But then I found some verses that changed everything.
Verses that showed me how free and forgiven I am in Jesus. You know John 3:16, right? This is where Jesus says that God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son so that whoever believes in Him will have eternal life.
Jesus doubles down on this statement with the next verse which says that God did not send Him to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
That sounds amazing, but what does it mean to believe in Him and be free from condemnation? Does it mean to count my sins every day? Does it mean to be perfect? No, it doesn't. It means to trust in what He has done for me. Listen to this verse from Hebrews 10:14: "For by one sacrifice He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy."
Wow, that's a powerful verse. Who are those who are being made holy? They are the ones who believe in Jesus and trust in His sacrifice. Verse 18 says: "And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary."
What does that mean? It means that Jesus' blood is better than any animal blood. It means that He paid for all my sins once and for all. It means I don't have to offer anything else for my sins. It means that I am free and forgiven in Jesus. And so are you when you trust Him.
And that's not all. He is not waiting for me to remember all my sins each day or forgive those who wronged me. How could I forgive anyway if I don't understand my own forgiveness? Salvation is not about what I do but what He has done.
My old way of thinking had me focusing on myself and my sins. Yes, there are many. But what a waste of time and energy when there is my Savior to be thinking about. He has washed me clean, made me new, and filled me with His love.
Paul told the Philippians: "Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things."
I will dwell on Jesus, His grace, His mercy, His act of love towards me. I deserved death and eternal separation from my Creator, but instead, He has given me eternal life with Him. As the song says:
My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus' blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus' name.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.
This is the good news. Understanding Jesus' complete love allows me to love and care for everyone around me, not out of duty but out of the overflow. This is where true peace is found. This is the Plain and Simple Truth of Jesus. He changes everything for everyone who wants freedom from the slavery of Sin and self-righteousness. For everyone that wants a new life of abundant peace and joy and love. This is a worthy thought to dwell upon: Jesus Christ isn't just good news; He is the best news ever!
Love,
Dad