The Sacrifice Of Forgiveness

I'm not sure video blogging is my forte, but regardless, I decided to try something a little different this week.  The video below is a short monologue on the significance of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

 

 

 

Things To Think About

Have you accepted the forgiveness Jesus offers at the cross?  Is Jesus your Saviour?

 

To share your thoughts click on "comments" below.

Isaiah 53:6 - Who's Your Saviour?

“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned – every one – to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”  Isaiah 53:6

In last week’s post, “No Ordinary Super Hero” we focused on verse 5 in chapter 53 of Isaiah.  This reminds us Jesus died so we can live in the presence of God as a forgiven people.  Verse 6 reinforces this thought.

We’ve all messed up.  I’ve done things I’m not proud of, things I regret, things that hurt others along the way, but because Jesus voluntarily died on the cross, and was resurrected, the events I’m ashamed of are now in my past.  I’ve confessed them and am humbled by, and grateful for, the forgiveness I’ve been granted. 

Unlike human relationships God doesn’t keep throwing your past in your face.  You confess, repent (stop doing what you’re doing and change your way of living), and you’re forgiven.  It’s done.  It’s over.  It’s gone. 

Not convinced?  In Psalm 103:12 David says, “as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.”  Think about it…how far is the east from the west? 

Do east and west ever meet?  No, at any given point, east and west always exist in opposing directions, so God forgives our mistakes, never bringing them back to haunt us. 

If Jesus is the mechanism through which our sins are forgiven, and God doesn’t keep regurgitating them, why do feelings of guilt continually plague us like the incessant throbbing of an abscessed tooth?

In his books, “The Prodigal God” and “The Reason for God…Believing in an Age of Skepticism” Timothy Keller points to the concept of “being your own Saviour”.   He states if you’re trying to earn God’s love by living the perfect life you are, in essence, trying to be your own Saviour.  You try to justify yourself in the eyes of God by your goodness and ignore the concept of grace.

Do you try to live up to an impossible standard of perfection in an attempt to earn God’s love?  Are you falling short of that standard and feeling you’re not worthy of forgiveness?  Are you trying to be your own Saviour?

Today’s scripture tells us we’re all like sheep that wander away from the flock.  Not one of us is perfect.  We all have flaws and at some point in time we’ve all made a mess of our lives or someone else’s.

The scripture reassures us though that Jesus died for each one of us.  He took the burden of your personal mistakes on Himself.  Don’t buy into the belief that you’re not good enough for forgiveness.  You don’t need to be your own Saviour.  Through His death and resurrection Jesus is your Saviour.

Are you tired of living as a slave to guilt and shame?  Maybe it’s time to get to know Jesus?  If so pray this prayer today.

Heavenly Father, I know I’ve messed up my life.  I know I’ve made mistakes and I’m carrying guilt and shame because of it.  I believe Jesus, your son, died on the cross and rose again so that I can be set free from this burden.  Please forgive me for my past mistakes and remove this heaviness as far as the east is from the west.  Help me begin to live a new life conscious of your guiding presence.  I ask this in the name of Jesus Christ.  Amen

If you’ve prayed this prayer you’ve taken the first step to living a forgiven life.  If you’re looking for more resources, Insight for Living has a helpful web page to assist you in taking the next step in your journey with God.  Follow this link http://www.insight.org/library/articles/how-to-know-god/relationship-with-god.html?t=How_to_Know_God

Do you have stories of finding forgiveness in your life?  Share your thoughts by clicking on “comments” below.

“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned – every one – to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”  Isaiah 53:6

Isaiah 53:5 - No Ordinary Super Hero

MEMORY VERSE: 

“But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.”  Isaiah 53:5

Isaiah 53, verses 5 and 6 are wonderful reminders of the power Jesus Christ has in our lives.  Through His suffering we find forgiveness and healing.

I think it’s important to remember the message from both verses of this chapter so I’m breaking them down into two weeks.  This week we’ll learn verse five and next week verse six.

Life has a way of breaking us down.  We start out filled with good intentions.  We plan to do the right thing and lead a good life, but eventually we run full speed into a construction zone.  Here we’re forced to navigate life’s unfinished roads; complete with pot holes left behind from rain the storms dumped along the way.

The results aren’t pretty.  We may find ourselves compromising our values, making questionable choices, and leading secret lives we never intended. 

The crashes in life test our faith, cause us to doubt God’s goodness and prevailing power, and sometimes even lead us away from Him. 

We find ourselves spiraling out of control, screaming in terror for someone to stop the ride of life so we can get off before we get sick!

I know we’ve all been there…the onset of depression, the loss of a child to addiction, the cancer diagnosis, the affair that slithered into your life, an abusive relationship.  The circumstances may vary but we’ve all been there.

We’re left with feelings of remorse, guilt, anger, and shattered self-esteem.  Complex emotions rage within and we’re at a loss to know where to turn or how to cope.  We long for the super hero in our favourite movie to swoop down and save us.

Enter Jesus…stage right.  He’s quiet and unassuming.  He doesn’t wear Lycra tights.  He doesn’t change in a phone booth or wear a cape.  He doesn’t morph into a raging, green hulk.  He doesn’t lead a double life, crawl up buildings, or have a tingly “spidey” sense. 

At first glance He’s pretty boring in the world of super heroes.  But take a second look.  Jesus defends the weak; He helps the marginalized; He accepts the unaccepted.  He loves with a love so deep it’s beyond our comprehension.

He dies on the cross for us; for our screw ups, our failures, and our guilt.  He loves us and sacrifices Himself for us.  What other super hero does that?  That’s the super hero I want in my life.  What about you? 

Please share your thoughts by clicking on “comments” below.

“But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.”  Isaiah 53:5

Psalm 32:1-2 - Guilt Free Living

MEMORY VERSE:

“Oh what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight!  Yes what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty!  Psalm 32:1-2 (NLT)

This past weekend I had the privilege of speaking at a women’s retreat for Southwood United Church.  We were in a beautiful setting, nestled away in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains overlooking the Ghost River – a perfect setting for drawing close to God.

The theme for the weekend was, “Freedom Through Forgiveness” and we explored the parable of the prodigal son in detail, looking at each son’s failure to have a close, personal relationship with their father. 

Both sons distanced themselves from the father figure – one by physically running away, the other by separating himself through his own pride and resentment.  But the father never gives up – he reaches out to both sons, extending his arms in a welcoming embrace that promises mercy, grace, and forgiveness.

I remember living a life filled with guilt because of past mistakes.  I remember what it feels like to keep secrets from friends and family, to hide parts of my life, to lie to protect my secrets.  It's exhausting and demeaning.  I was filled with guilt and shame.  I believed I was a terrible person, undeserving of love and I felt God could never forgive me.

We read Psalm 32 as part of our worship service on Sunday morning at the retreat.  It’s a beautiful psalm, so full of hope.  David knows what it feels like to have the burden of sin and guilt lifted from his shoulders.  He speaks of experiencing wonderful joy and freedom in confessing his sins to God and receiving forgiveness.

Three years ago I felt God calling me to a life in His presence.  I made a decision to share my secrets and risk it all...risk losing my friends and the family members I held so dear.  I shared my secrets and confessed my sin to God and I experienced the same amazing joy described in this psalm.

When we seek forgiveness in God’s loving arms we move into a life free from guilt and shame.  We’re freed from the heavy burdens we carry with us. 

“Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt.  I said to myself, ‘I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.’  And you forgave me!  All my guilt is gone.  Psalm 32:8

I’m living proof of these verses.  It’s such a relief to live a life free from the unbearable burdens of guilt and shame.  Return to God and find your own freedom in His forgiving arms.

“Oh what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight!  Yes what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty! 

Psalm 32:1-2 (NLT)

Philippians 3:13-14 - Perseverance - Persistence - Endurance

MEMORY VERSE:

“...But one thing I do:  forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.   Philippians 3:13-14 (ESV)

My heart seemed to beat as fast as cars on a freight train whiz past behind a crossing arm.  The back of my throat felt as dry as a crisp autumn leaf on the ground, severed from its life giving water supply.  I gasped, fighting to draw in enough air to expand my lungs and continued to put one foot in front of the other.  My ears, sensitive as a fruit bat’s, were on high alert, tuned to hear the beeping of my watch signaling my 30 second reprieve.

Do you run?  I started last summer, took a hiatus over the winter, and am back at it this spring.  I’m determined to get to the point where I can run continuously for 30 minutes.  Apparently it will be a while before I achieve my goal!

Some days are easier than others.  This particular day I was tired and fighting a throat infection, but determined to go for my run.  I was about two thirds finished, had a gaping hole in my energy bucket, and was fading fast when a bit of this scripture flashed through my mind.  “I press on toward the goal for the prize...”

Paul’s not talking about a literal foot race in his letter to the Philippians.  He’s talking about perseverance, persistence, and endurance.

Running takes physical endurance.  You start out slowly, running in small segments with short breaks in between, allowing your body, your heart, and your lungs to become conditioned.  As you build strength and endurance you’re able to run for longer periods of time.

Running takes mental persistence.  There are days when I don’t feel 100% but I still have to get my butt out the door and run.  I can’t wait around for the perfect temperature, the perfect time, the perfect body, the perfect shoes, the perfect outfit; the perfect...whatever.  And there are times when I’m convinced I can’t go any further but I still push myself until I reach the goal...the beeping of my watch telling me I get to walk for 30 seconds.

Paul equates our relationship with Jesus to running a race.  It’s our choice to follow Him.  Those who make the choice understand Jesus sacrificed Himself so we are forgiven of our sin and free to choose to follow Him.

When you’re running you can’t focus on the pain it took to get to the top of the hill.  You focus on the success – you made it to the top.  Paul says we can’t live in the past, “...forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead...”.   

Apply this in your life.  Don’t focus on your past – the pain of your guilt, your shame, your failures; anything that says you’re less of a person.  Focus on the future.  Focus on what lies ahead.  Focus on Jesus and the forgiveness He offers.

Running is about goal setting.  So is life with Jesus.  Our goal is to draw close to Jesus, to know Him, and to strive to become more like Him.  In the garden of Gethsemane, before going to His death, Jesus prayed to God, His Father, “...Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” (Luke 22:42)

As we draw close to Jesus this becomes our prayer, too.  The desires of our hearts align with the desires of God’s heart.  He works through us to make those desires reality in the world.  How amazing is that!?!  God redeems our past and uses us to make a difference in people’s lives!

Father I pray that You would help me to “press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus”.   Amen

“... But one thing I do:  forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.   Philippians 3:13-14 (ESV)

Holy Week

It’s Holy week.  It starts with Palm Sunday.  Jesus rides triumphantly into the city of Jerusalem.  (Matthew 21)  His followers are convinced this is the BIG moment.  Jesus will overthrow their oppressors, take possession of the city, and rule as king.  The disciples are already arguing over who gets to be Jesus’ right hand man.

By mid-week things aren’t looking so rosy.  Jesus joins His disciples to celebrate the Passover.  He breaks bread and speaks of His body being broken (Luke 22:19).  He pours wine and speaks of His blood being poured out (Luke 22:20).  The disciples are confused and even repelled.  He talks of betrayal and death.  The disciples are adamant they will stay with Jesus to the end.

When Judas enters the scene things get darker still.  He turns Jesus over to the chief priests and Pharisees of the temple who have been looking for an opportune moment to seize Jesus. (Mark 14:41-46)

Jesus is betrayed, captured, and abandoned by his disciples; those He has called friends.  He is convicted and put to a bloody painful, humiliating death by crucifixion. (John 18 and 19)

The Pharisees, afraid that Jesus’ supporters will steal the body and make up a crazy story about His resurrection, seal the body in a tomb and post guards outside.

“…the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, “Sir we remember how that imposter said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise.’  Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead’ and the last fraud will be worse than the first.  Pilate said to them “You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can.”  So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard.” (Matthew 27:62-66)

Jesus’ followers, afraid of suffering the same fate as their leader scatter like frightened rabbits.

Friday is a dark day.

But it’s not the end!

It’s Sunday morning.  Women come to prepare the body for proper burial but the body that was in a sealed, secured tomb is gone.  All four gospel accounts testify to the fact that Jesus is no longer in the grave!  (Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, John 20)

Where is He?

He’s alive, walking, talking, eating, and teaching His followers once again.  He ascends to Heaven and the Holy Spirit comes to earth in His place to live in our hearts.

That’s the whole story from celebration to doubt to betrayal to death to victory! 

Christ is victorious over death and when we choose to believe in His sacrifice as the Son of God we’re forgiven of all our sins.

We’re given a new start, a “do over” in God’s eyes.  We can let go of our guilt and the self defeating thoughts that suck us down in a pit of despair every day.  We can start living in the light and joy of Christ’s victory.

All four gospels testify to this saving act of Jesus.  Some things can’t be explained.  Some things you just believe.  In the memory verse for this week Paul says it this way...

“…that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them.  And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation.  We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.  We implore on Christ’s behalf; be reconciled to God.  God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” (NIV)

John says it this way…

“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 (NLT)

It’s confusing.  It’s mind boggling.  It’s hard to understand.  And it’s true.

That’s the Easter story!

2 Corinthians 5:19-21 – Friendly Agreement With God

MEMORY VERSE:

“…that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them.  And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation.  We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.  We implore on Christ’s behalf; Be reconciled to God.  God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” (NIV) 2 Corinthians 5:19-21

It’s hard to know where to start with this selection.  Paul jammed a smorgasbord of good news into these four statements taken from one of his letters to the people of the Christian church in Corinth.

 “…that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them.  And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation”. 

What does Paul means when he speaks of reconciliation?  Take a look at the verb “to reconcile” and you’ll find the two following definitions:

• To bring into agreement
• To restore to friendliness

When we combine the two meanings it paints a great picture…to bring into friendly agreement!  Who doesn’t want that!?!

We all mess up in life.  Show me someone who says they’ve never made a mistake and I’ll show you someone who doesn't have a firm grip on the realities of life!

Some mistakes aren’t earth shattering but they do make our life more difficult.  Others have more serious consequences, tearing through lives like raging tornadoes, leaving a trail of wreck, ruin and devastation behind them.

Even if your mistakes have caused seemingly irreparable damage in your personal life and relationships, Paul says you can still be in “friendly agreement” with God.  This news is a five course feast to the person who’s starved for unconditional love and acceptance.

“…not counting people’s sins against them…”

How many times do you relive the guilt and crappy feelings that accompanied the mistake you made? 

God doesn’t do this to us.  He doesn’t continuously regurgitate our past.  He doesn’t count our sins (our mistakes and screw ups) against us.  He promises we can live in friendly agreement with Him.

How?

“…Be reconciled to God.  God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God”

In one concise statement Paul explains how we claim God’s promise of freedom from sin.  You see, Jesus was completely free from sin. He walked righteously with God. 

Righteous is such a "churchy" word.  Just hearing it kind of makes you want to rush out and do the opposite of whatever it means.  So what does it mean?

Recently I was in a study group led by Gail Rodgers from Spruce Grove Alliance Church.  She broke this word down into very basic terms.  Simply put “righteous” means to have no rebellion in your heart…to not rebel.

Jesus never once rebelled against His Father, God.  Even as He went to His painful death He still prayed, “…yet not my will, but yours be done.”  Luke 22:42

How many of us can honestly pray this prayer?  Sure, we might say the words because we think God approves of such a prayer.  But, do our hearts really desire God’s will or our own desires?

Jesus was without sin.  And somehow, supernaturally He took our sins (past, present and future) onto Himself.  He took these with Him to the grave so we can live as though without rebellion before God; so we can live in friendly agreement with God.

I’m sure there’s a wonderful theological discussion that breaks down the process of how this all works…an explanation of the logistical process.  I’ll be honest…I don’t know what that theological explanation is.  I don’t really understand how God made it all work and you don’t have to either.

I do know this.  Deep in my heart there’s a stirring, a whisper calling out an invitation to faith, to belief; a longing to go deeper in this journey of faith with Jesus.

Jesus’ final words on the cross, “It is finished” (John 19:30) mean exactly that.  The battle’s over.  When we believe in Jesus' death and resurrection as the Son of God, we’re a forgiven people living in friendly agreement with God.

Now that’s good news!

“…that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them.  And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation.  We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us.  We implore on Christ’s behalf; Be reconciled to God.  God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.”

(NIV)  2 Corinthians 5:19-21

Jonah 4 - Extreme Forgiveness

The last few blog posts have focused on the book of Jonah. We've seen various themes running throughout including rebellion, anger with God, repentance, and God's mercy and grace. Much of what God offers to us is "extreme" and hard for us to comprehend. Phillip Yancey touches on this in his book “What’s So Amazing About Grace?”. He actually refers to the “SCANDAL of grace” because we do nothing to earn grace, it is simply given by God.  Why is that so hard for us to understand? We're accustomed to living in a world where nothing is free, but that's not the case with God's grace. Christ already paid the price so we can live as forgiven people.

In chapter four of Jonah God teaches us about extreme forgiveness. He asks some pointed questions that slice straight to the heart of the matter - who are we to question God's right to offer forgiveness, and who are we to withhold forgiveness from those around us? If we take time to contemplate these questions we find ourselves forced to examine our motives, thoughts and interactions in our personal relationships. Take some time today to think about these questions - are you withholding forgiveness?  Click here to view the entire video devotion.

Jonah 3 - Nineveh A City On The Edge

Repent is a word commonly used in Christian vernacular. Typically you won't hear it applied in life outside of the church. Even within the Christian community it can be a word that isn't very popular. Perhaps that's because many people aren't really sure of what it means or perhaps they do know what it means but don't like the implications.

The dictionary identifies the word "repent" as a verb that means, "to feel sorry, self-reproachful, or contrite for past conduct". But it doesn't end there. It goes on to include the following statement in the definition, "to feel such sorrow for sin or fault as to be disposed to change one's life for the better". To repent isn't just to feel sorry about something you've done and then continue doing it. True repentance involves coming to a place in your life where you simply cannot live with your actions any longer. It generally involves humbling ourselves to the point of being able to see our wrong doing and identify it for what it is. It may include confession and it probably involves apology. It can be a painful and messy act. So why would you want to repent?

When we begin to live with lies or wrong doing in our lives something inside of us changes. A part of our hearts become hardened. It's a slow, gradual process, but if it continues in one area of our lives soon it will permeate into other areas. One little lie here, one there - all seems harmless. Helping ourselves to extra pens, or sticky notes, or tape from the office for our own personal use seems harmless, afterall the company can afford it. Slipping the odd personal expense onto the company's expense account seems harmless.  All of these things desensitize us to being truthful in the larger areas of our lives. When we start to live with bigger lies in our lives we find we can't be completely honest with our friends and family. Our world shrinks because we have to be careful what we say around people. We become isolated within our lies and a part of our hearts shrivel up as we live with the guilt that begins to consume our minds. Coming to a place of repentance frees us from the prison walls that we erect inside our minds. It lifts a burden from our shoulders and we are free to enter into relational fellowship once again with the people around us. We are freed from guilt and are able to step out with confidence, secure in the knowledge that we are forgiven!

We've examined Jonah's repentant heart in chapter two of the book of Jonah in the Old Testament. Now let's watch and listen to see what it looks like when an entire city comes to repentance.  Click here to view the third in the video devotion series on the book of Jonah.

Jonah Part 2 - A God of Second Chances

Welcome back to Jonah Part 2. Click here to continue with the devotion series on the Old Testament book of Jonah. Find out what we can learn through Jonah's experience of being swallowed by a whale - an experience the rest of us would definitely like to avoid!