Forgiveness

"If you, LORD, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you."  Psalm 130:3-4

Forgiveness. The word is powerful and calming, refreshing and cleansing, renewing and burden-lifting. "I forgive you." Those three words tell guilt to go away and invite peace to take its place. If God kept a record of all our evil thoughts, reckless words, and aberrant actions, our spiritual legs would buckle under the weight. We would be buried under the pile of our wickedness. And the pile would forever stand as a monument to our depravity.

But God does not keep a record of our sins. He nailed them to the cross, where the Lord Jesus paid the penalty for every morsel of juicy gossip, every white lie, every murder and every other despicable action of man. And when we trust in Jesus' death as our own, God throws our sin into the depth of the sea. He puts it behind His back. The God with perfect memory chooses to remember our sin no more.

How should we respond to God's great forgiveness? Should we take it for granted? Should we use it as a license to sin? Should we use it as an excuse for spiritual lethargy? No! It allows us to stand and follow with thanksgiving. It is a part of God's love and acceptance that should make us want to worship and honor Him with our lives. Forgiveness allows us to serve God with the reverence He alone deserves.

“Father, thank You for Your great forgiveness. Thank You for not keeping a record of my sin. Thank You for allowing me to stand before You clean because of Jesus. Help me to live free from my sinful past and walk with You in the freedom of forgiveness today. In Jesus' name. Amen.”

Ron Moore