Forgiveness

No More Regrets!

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For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. 2 Corinthians 7:10 ESV

As I have grown older, one battle I often find myself in, is with letting go of regrets. Oh, I am fully convinced that Jesus has paid the price for my sins, and for reasons beyond my understanding has chosen to include me in His family. But when I look back at parts of my life, that were dominated by selfish actions and choices, I am filled with regret and shame. A few years ago, I turned down the invitation to my 50th class reunion, mostly because of regrets. But God has been working in my heart over this issue, and I thought I would share the hope I am finding with others who struggle with this issue. In today’s verse, the Apostle Paul speaks directly to our problem of regret and makes a differentiation between, godly grief and worldly grief. He says that our grief over our sins cannot be avoided. We must come to recognize that it was our sins that drove Jesus to the cross. Our wicked actions meant His beating, mocking, cruel crown of thorns and nails through His hands and feet. Anyone who simply thinks they may dance into God’s kingdom without passing through repentance, has entirely missed the gospel message. The grief that God intends will bring us to the cross, but it does not leave us there. God does not want us to live our entire lives engulfed by shame, instead He wants us to look up to the face of Jesus and listen to His voice, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Jesus has forgiven all our sins and with them, every regret. God’s will is not for us to live consumed by regrets, but instead filled with praise, both in Heaven, and on earth. We will be far more effective witnesses of His love, forgiveness, and compassion if we release those regrets to God and show others that true repentance is God’s chosen pathway to life, not the place where He wishes for us to pitch our tents. How wonderful the depth, breadth, and height of the love of Jesus Christ! How beyond our understanding is His release from regrets and the loving purpose of His heart!

Jail Break

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If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 ESV

Though the maximum security, Altiplano jail was constructed with high walls, plenty of razor ribbon and a high tech security system, in 2015, Mexican Drug Lord Joaquin Guzman, made headlines by breaking out. When the astonishing details were revealed, we learned that he had escaped through a tunnel his associates had dug, complete with lights, ventilation and a rail system that led to a building project, almost a mile away.

But Jesus offers us a freedom that is far better than the one which Joaquin Guzman experienced (After all he was captured just 5 months later). The freedom that Jesus gives is one for which He paid a price far higher than Guzman had paid his workers to build the tunnel. Jesus suffered and died a terrible death on the cross, paying for our escape with His own blood. But sadly, there are times when we Christians sometimes dig a tunnel with our bare hands, that leads straight back to the maximum security prison of sin. We speed along the rail system of selfish choices that ends in the small dark cell block of separation from God. But today’s verse tells us that does not need to be the end of our story. All hope is not lost, because if we will simply turn to Jesus, confess our sins and ask forgiveness, He is faithful and just to forgive us again and again, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness and restore us to the freedom of heaven where we will live with Him forever!

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God’s Kindness Changes One Life at a Time

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Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, 
not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? 
Romans 2:4 ESV

It is easy to become overwhelmed with a sense of hopelessness, when reading the headlines of the latest cruelty, perversion or political movement that seems to hate even the merest vestige of Christianity. Such temptations to despair sometimes can get our eyes off of what God has called us to do and call us to respond with harshness, criticism or sarcasm. But Jesus had another way when He faced an unreasonable and seemingly hopeless mission. The path that Jesus took, unleashed the power of God’s kindness.

Yes, Jesus wept over the city, but then He walked down into it and gave His life. No, Jesus did not stop teaching the hard things about the Kingdom of God, but when they nailed Him to the cross, He didn’t hurl angry accusations against His opponents, instead He prayed, “Father forgive them.” How foolish and weak that must have sounded! Forgive? What good would forgiveness do? How could that change the situation? The answer came not only on the third day, when they found Jesus alive again, it also unfolded on the day of Pentecost when three thousand of the people He had wept over repented and believed. Soon all of Jerusalem was shaken, and tens of thousands became Christians. It all began in a moment on a hillside, when judgement seemed the more logical response, but Jesus chose the power of kindness, and that kindness has changed the world. Kindness doesn’t win military victories, elections or Hollywood awards but God’s kindness changes the world one life at a time. I know it has changed mine!