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Last update: 14th November
Appropriating the Lord’s forgiveness
Doubts overwhelmed me
There have been times when I thought I was doing a poor job of acknowledging my mistakes and shortcomings to God. And there have been times when I have had doubts about whether the Lord had truly forgiven me, mostly because I did not feel his forgiveness.
A widespread feeling of unease
Instead, I had a vague, diffuse feeling of inner unease that weighed me down.
What does mean God’s forgiveness?
The apostle John reminds us that God’s forgiveness is based on the blood of Jesus, which cleanses us from every sin, and that if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us (1 John 1:7, 9).
Parakletos means Advocate, Comforter
He also tells us that Jesus Christ is our Advocate, the One who pleads on our behalf (2:1-2). The word used here is parakletos, which means the Advocate, the Comforter, and according to John 14:16, this Advocate is the Spirit who is forever with us and dwells within us!
How is it possible ?
By shedding His blood, the Lord has paid the price that allows us to be washed clean, free from anything that might hold us back, free, so that we can be connected to Him. So, once we have confessed our sins, there is no need to go back to them. God has chosen to forget them. Case closed! No more condemnation! (Romans 8). May we rejoice that we can have a flowing relationship with God!
Biblical confirmation
In Hebrews 10 it says, “I will remember their sins and iniquities no more„. Sometimes we have a better memory than God! The prophet Micah used a striking image to illustrate this : he wrote that God throws our sins to the bottom of the sea. They are, therefore, very far away!
Appropriating the Lord’s forgiveness
So now let’s make this forgiveness our own! Let’s receive it from our Lord!
I’ve decided to stop believing the lies
And if Satan, the father of lies, tries to draw our attention to the past, making us feel troubled and creating a feeling of guilt, let us immediately take refuge in God. This way, we will be able to enjoy the restored communion and peace that we have with Him, because there is no longer any obstacle between Him and us, nor between us and Him. There is no longer any condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8).
I refocus…
Let’s focus on the Lord so that we may live freely, interacting with Him, dwelling in His peace, in His joy, rid of any barriers, and may our whole being be filled with more and more of Him.
I declare the words of the Bible, the truth
And if our feelings lie to us, let us declare the undeniable biblical truths :
– I have an Advocate, Jesus, whose blood cleanses me from every sin. He speaks for me! (1 John 1:7, 9; 1 John 2)
– No more condemnation for me! (Romans 8)
– God no longer remembers my sins! (Hebrews. 8:12 and 10:17; Micah 7:18-19)
– This Advocate dwells in me as the Spirit who gives me life! (John 14:16)
An efficient shield
These facts are a shield against all condemnation and all that may trouble us!
We are guaranteed God’s total forgiveness.
Then from our grateful hearts emerges a flood of praise to our God! Thank you, Lord!
God is on your side!
Have a beautiful day!
“And I will pray to the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, that he may dwell with you forever, the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows not; but you know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. „ (John 14:16)