Faith for Forgiveness

I’m a particularly skeptical person. I rarely believe things that I read or hear in the media. Regularly, we hear studies that contradict other studies.

I don’t believe in global warming. I don’t dis-believe it either. I am not in a place to form a strong opinion because the sources of information are suspect to me.

I was like this about the Bible too. I grew up in a Christian home and studied the Bible all of my life. But as I said, I don’t take anyone’s word for it. I studied the history of the Bible. I researched the events described in the Bible. I even studied other religions.

I came to the conclusion that every one lives by faith.

We believe many things that are simply not true

From WebMD:
1. Medical Myth: Drink at least eight glasses of water per day.
Reality: There's no evidence that you have to drink that much water to assure adequate fluid intake -- and drinking too much water can be unhealthy.
2. Medical Myth: We use only 10% of our brains.
Reality: Most of the brain isn't loafing. Detailed brain studies haven't found the "non-functioning" 90% of the brain.
3. Medical Myth: Mobile phones are dangerous in hospitals.
Reality: "Rigorous testing in Europe found minimal interference and only at distances of less than one meter [about 3.28 feet]," write the researchers. But that may be a point of controversy. In September, Dutch doctors reported that cell phones may interfere with critical care equipment and shouldn't be used within a meter of medical equipment or hospital beds.
4. Medical Myth: Eating turkey makes people especially drowsy.
Reality: Turkey isn't all that rich in tryptophan, the chemical linked to sleepiness after eating turkey. But eating a big, decadent meal can cause sleepiness, even if turkey isn't on the menu.

Did humans really land on the moon? On February 15, 2001 the FOX television network aired a program titled Conspiracy Theory: Did We Land On The Moon? This program showed alleged evidence that NASA faked the moon landings.

Believing the story from someone about events that occurred when you were not there.

If you believe in science you are doing so by faith unless you were present personally to make the observation yourself. Maybe you read it in a scientific journal but you are still taking it on faith that the scientists reported are reliable and the reporter hasn’t filled in any details.

Do you believe everything you read in the newspaper? The People Magazine or USA Today or the Wall Street Journal? I’m not saying that they are not reporting events as they are related to their reporters. I’m only saying that we take on faith the truthfulness of the events.

If you have ever been on a jury, you have had to take on faith the testimony of witnesses to events because you were not present to witness them for yourself.

Many people believe that if you live a life by “faith” that somehow you are simple, uneducated, or narrow minded. But everyone lives by faith.

Do you believe in global warming? If so is it because you read or saw it in the media? Have you been to the Arctic and observed for yourself? Have you visited the ocean buoys that record temperatures and compared them to prior records that you recorded? I’m guessing not. The you are trusting in the testimony of those who claim that they have done this research.


So when we believe the things written in the Bible we are not behaving any differently than when anyone reads the newspaper or a scientific journal or sits on a jury. We believe these things to be true based on witnesses that we trust.

This week I had the strong impression that God was asking me if I had enough faith for forgiveness.

It’s an interesting question because when we first come to faith in Christ we also are accepting that He paid the price for our sin and bringing us into a relationship with the Father. We basically express a “global sorry”. We confess that we are sinners and need His forgiveness.

Still each day I feel like I need more forgiveness.

I can’t live each day without feeling that I have not lived as Jesus would or how He would like me too. Sin and selfishness has once again crept into my mind. Evil thoughts sometimes are given voice by my mouth.

Once again I must ask for forgiveness from the Lord.
In the Bible God tells us

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

Wow. Cool. Is that really in the Bible?

Each time though I wonder if I’m reaching the end of my forgiveness account. Is He getting tired of hearing the same things over again? Worse still will I avoid Him for awhile because I’m too ashamed to ask again?

A good friend and a professional Psychologist tells me that there is healthy shame. We should experience a healthy shame when we are mean to someone or are dishonest or behave immorally.

Healthy Shame is the consciousness or awareness of dishonor, disgrace, or condemnation. Genuine shame is associated with genuine dishonor, disgrace, or condemnation. This often results in trying to repair the fault or offense. – Wikipedia

With toxic shame we believe that something wrong with us and there's nothing we can do about it; we are inadequate and defective. – John Bradshaw

Forgiveness is the key that unlocks the cage of shame and tells us that we are loved and are not defective. Jesus came to give us this message. We are loved by God and we are not defective.

Together with the question whether I had enough faith for forgiveness, I was reminded by the Lord this week that Jesus has paid the price for all of my sin and shame long before I was born.

As we continue to read through the New Testament we will find these verses in the book of Colossians.

Col 2: 12-14 having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.
Col 2:13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,
Col 2:14 having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.


When Jesus was nailed to the cross God put onto Him all the sins of the world. Past, Present and future.

There are no penance to do. There is no purgatory where you have to sit for awhile until your sins are absolved. All means All. At Dictionary.com it says “wholly; entirely; completely;” as in “He ate all of the peanuts. They are all gone.”

“God put onto Him all the sins of the world.”


John 19:30 A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' lips.
Joh 19:30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Jesus said “It is finished”. Done. Over. Our sins have been paid for so that we can now live a new life.

Haven’t you ever wanted to start over? To have a clean slate?

This is the message of God. He loved you so much that He gave His only Son for you. For the joy set before Him Jesus said “yes” I will take their sin on me so that they can be together with me for all eternity.


Do you have enough faith to be forgiven?

Do you believe what the Bible teaches that Jesus has already paid the price for you, past, present and future?

If you have been avoiding God for awhile because you feel that you cannot be forgiven? Is today the day when you will get over it? It is finished! Over! Done!

Use Your Power for Good Not for Evil

Have you made any bad choices in your life?

It’s hard to live too long without a rap sheet of choices that turn out in hindsight to be ill conceived.

Maybe it was a bad relationship.

Or bad judgment in your job.

Or a bad business deal

Or a bad grade in a class that you chose not to attend.

In answer to the question, “What is the greatest gift that God ever gave us?”, most people are likely to answer either “Life” or “Jesus”. Both of these are good answers but consider this,

Without choice neither of these matter.

Life without the ability and liberty to choose is not quality of life. It’s the life of a drone, a creature who only operates out of it’s programming. Without the ability and liberty to choose there is no reason to choose Christ for there would be no sin. Without the ability and liberty to choose there could be no love.

I have sometimes wondered why God put that tempting tree in the garden which has caused such great tragedy and pain and evil in the world. If He hadn’t done that then all would be well. But once again without that ability and liberty to choose we could not really know love and “God is love”.

Those of us who have chosen Jesus as our Lord have already changed the direction of our lives for eternity.

Those of us who have chosen to marry and bear children have changed our lives for the rest of our earthly lives.

Those of us who have chosen advanced education have changed our lives even further.

Those of us who have spoken into the lives of others to share God’s love for them have changed their lives forever.

There is incredible power in our choices. But as with all power and riches these can be squandered. How often have we heard stories of people who have won millions of dollars in the lottery and not too much later we hear that they have nothing left? We HAVE won the lottery. We have the ability and liberty to choose.

But what good would that be without great things to choose from? I can choose to rely on my own wits and wisdom and trial and error or We can choose God. I can tell you that I have tried my own way. Yeah I can get things and proven that I can lose things as well. But the real Holy Grail is to find happiness and peace. There is no lasting happiness or peace in things. In fact my pursuit of things leads to stress. I have to work more to pay for the things and pay the debts for things that I thought could make me happy.

But the greatest thing in life is that we can choose God. In God there is happiness and peace without regard to things. We are rich. Rich in happiness. Rich in peace. And Rich in Love.

Many things influence our choices

1. Feelings
2. Culture and family values
3. Momentum
4. Fear of consequences

Too often we abdicate the richness and power of our choices because we let these things make our choices for us. We can allow our feelings to prevent us from reaching out to people outside of our comfort zone. We can let our culture and family values prevent us from choosing to rise up out of a history of pain and even separation from God. We have friends in Spain that have been working diligently to bring the Gospel back to that country for years. However, individuals there who choose to follow Christ in a personal way are often disowned by their families because of the power of tradition and culture and family values.

We can let the momentum of life determine our choices in marriage, children, school, and work. How many people are working in a career that they fell into by association with people rather than viewing the universe of careers and picking one? How many people have married the one that was available at the right time rather than waiting for one that might be more suitable? How many people have had children at a time not of their choosing but now may have to drop out of school to care for them? We can miss out on the riches that God has for us because we are afraid to choose to step out in faith to share our faith or pray for someone or come to a growth group.

Many of us who have chosen to take Jesus as our Lord live as though that was the last choice we have to make. However, that may be far from the truth.

When Moses lead the people of Israel out of Egypt and into the wilderness God provided food daily . Each day the people had to go out to collect it. God could have allowed them to store up their food or even permanently relieve their hunger altogether. Instead each day they had to get up and choose to trust Him. Exodus

The Apostle, Paul, tells us that we must “walk by faith”. Each step in that walk is a choice. 2 Cor 5:7

He also suggests to us as he did to Timothy that we train ourselves in godliness like an athlete trains for an event. This involves choosing to “work out” and choosing to avoid negative activities such as some foods. 1 Tim 4:8;2 Tim 2:5;1 Cor 9:27

The choices that we have before us include these:

Will we make ourselves available to Him?

Will we trust Him to take care of our needs?

Will we trust Him to call us to do some risky things? I.e. Outreach, share our homes, share our faith, pray for healing for people in our workplaces, schools, and neighborhoods. Will we prioritize time with Him? Alone personal time, time in worship, time in fellowship with other believers.

Is today your day to choose?

Robert Frost, a great American poet wrote a famous poem that is often quoted on themes like this.

TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

If you have not chosen Jesus as your Lord is today your day? Have you found lasting happiness and joy in the things of your life? Or do you need more things to find that? God gave you the greatest gift in your life, the ability and liberty to choose. He already loves you. Will you receive the riches of His relationship with you?

If you have already chosen Christ as your Lord are you living in the light of His presence each day? Are you still living a life of frustration and stress because you don’t want to bother God with your stuff? Would you choose Him again today and every day? He loves you and wants to be more real to you. You were created for friendship with the Living God. The Ministry Team is here for you too. They will pray for you to help you get started again in that daily walk with Him…to experience again the great power and riches in choosing Him everyday.

One of the great heroes of the Bible put it this way.

Choose this day whom you will serve. As for me and my house we will serve the Lord. Josh 24:15