THE GIFT OF FORGIVENESS

October 18, 2024

I, even I, am the one who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake, and I will not remember your sins. Put Me in remembrance, let us argue our case together; state your cause, that you may be proved right. Isaiah 43:25-26
 

1. YOUR SINS ARE FORGOTTEN. This scripture is a breathtaking example from the Old Testament. The infinite, holy, all-knowing God, in His sovereignty and omniscience, has chosen to forgive us and cast our sins into “the depths of the sea” (Micah 7:19). The Psalms declare, “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12).
 
2. YOUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN. “To err is human, to forgive, divine.”¹ God in His mercy, “so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him” (John 3:16-17). There is forgiveness with God. He forgives us of our sins: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
 
3. THE DEBT IS WIPED AWAY. When my wife and I were young and in Bible school, we had our first baby. We didn’t have medical insurance, so we set up a payment plan. One day, I went to the doctor’s office to make a payment. The receptionist looked at the bill and said, “Oh, it says paid in full.” I could read upside down, and I saw that I still owed more. Frustrated, I asked her to check again. The doctor happened to walk by, and I called him over, saying, “There’s some confusion about the balance. I know I owe several hundred dollars more,” which was a lot at the time. He looked at me and said, “It is paid in full.” I started to argue with him, then he smiled, and the receptionist smiled, and I suddenly realized that they had forgiven me the rest of the bill. I was stunned. To this day, I still feel the emotion of that moment because it was such a blessing, and I am forever grateful. As wonderful as it felt to be forgiven of a doctor’s bill, there is no greater relief than being forgiven of our sins. And that is what God does when we confess our sins. 
 
4. GOD IS MINDFUL OF YOU. “For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust” (Psalm 103:14). Knowing this about God’s character allows us to draw near to Him. He has compassion on us (Psalm 103:13). When we repent, He is faithful, merciful, and present to help us in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16). God’s hand is on your life. The devil wants to keep you in constant torment, conflict, and indebtedness, but Jesus paid the debt of our sin on the cross. He is faithful. He forgives us, casts our sins into the depths of the sea, and gives us a brand-new day and a fresh start.

PRAY THIS PRAYER
God I thank You that just as a father loves his children, You love those who fear and worship You. I thank You that as I confess my sins, You are faithful and righteous to forgive me of my sins and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness. As far as the east is from the west, so far have You removed my transgressions from me. I repent of all my sin, and I ask You to forgive me. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me, in Jesus’ Name, amen.  (Psalm 103:13; 1 John 1:9; Psalm 103:12; Psalm 51:10)

God bless you,
Pastor Jeff Perry 

mind·ful, adj.
Attentive; regarding with care; bearing in mind; heedful; observant.

^{Copyright © 2024 St. Louis Family Church, All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. 1. Pope, Alexander. An Essay on Criticism. Project Gutenberg, 2005, www.gutenberg.org/files/7409/7409-h/7409-h.htm. “Mindful, Adj.” Webster’s Dictionary 1828, MasonSoft Technology Ltd., https://webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary/mindful.}