Identity: We Are Forgiven
Join us on the blog over the next eight weeks as we study together what God’s Word says about who we are in Christ.
…
“He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
-Colossians 1:13-14
We are all sinful beings. In fact all of creation — every drop of rain, every blade of grass, every fish in the sea — is groaning under the weight of sin. Our sin separates us from the presence of our Holy God, and there is nothing that we can do to remedy this on our own. We can never measure up to the insurmountable holiness of God. If we were to gather all of the “goodness” in our lives, the sum of everything good and right that we have ever done or will ever do, and place it before the Lord, it would be to Him like a filthy rag (Isaiah 64:6). Left un-cured, our sin condemns us eternally. Dear one, because of sin, our eternity is at risk.
What we greatly and desperately need is forgiveness. We have disobeyed and offended God. We have incurred His great wrath. There is only one hope— that God in all of His holiness would find a way for His justice to be satisfied. And that is exactly what God, in His amazing grace, was willing to offer us through the death of His Son.
Christ gave himself up for us on the cross —that is, in our place— so that we don’t have to perish under the weight of our sin. Our record of debt was nailed to the cross with Him, and the blood from His nail-pierced hands has erased our debt. Through the death of Jesus Christ there is forgiveness.
“In Him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.”
-Ephesians 1:7
In order to be faithful to the holiness of His character, God must demand a penalty for our sin. That penalty is death – eternal separation from God and His goodness. Each of us are desperately in need of redemption. That is the greatest need we have. It trumps every other need in our lives. And God stands in position to meet it. God himself was willing to make the greatest sacrifice on your behalf in order to secure your forgiveness. And not only did He forgive you of an unpayable debt, He also gives His Spirit to live with you — to comfort, guide, teach, and empower you!
“When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins”
Colossians 2:13
We were dead in our sins, but through this blood-soaked forgiveness, we have been made alive in Christ Jesus. This forgiveness cannot be earned. It is a free gift to all who repent from their sin and choose to call on the name of the Lord. It has been bought with the blood of Christ. And the wrath of God was satisfied with the blood of Jesus — this perfect blood that covered our sins and paid our debt. So when faced with the judgment of God, His perfection stands for mine. This new life that forgiveness brings is free from the fear of condemnation. God looks on us and sees Him – our pure, spotless lamb.
“For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. 19 It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.”
1 Peter 1:18-19
Not only have we been freed from the wrath of God, but we have also been freed from the accusations of Satan. It was the record of our debts that made our punishment necessary and gave Satan his power to condemn us. But that record has been wiped clean in Christ. Satan has no leverage for accusation anymore. It has all been erased. The only weapon he could defeat us with is that of unforgiven sin, and he can no longer wield that against us.
Oh, sister! When you put your faith in Christ, all of your sins past, present and future, have been forgiven and covered by the blood of Jesus. So day by day, as you choose to confess your sins and turn from them, God continues to cover them. This forgiveness that you have been given, is secure in the finished work of Christ. Once you have surrendered to Christ as your Savior — repenting of sin, and accepting His free gift of forgiveness — it cannot be undone. Your redemption has been sealed for all of eternity. You are forever freed from guilt and shame. You have been permanently shielded from the wrath of God. The debt you owe is eternally cancelled. And when you stand before God on the day of judgment, the righteousness of Christ will be applied to your account.
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
-1 John 1:9
Does this not cause your heart to rejoice? Are you not overwhelmed by this incredible display of mercy? We, who deserve nothing but the wrath of God, have received nothing but amazing grace! Take a moment and let that sink in. Through the forgiveness of sin, you are no longer defined by your sin, but by the perfect life of God’s Son. This forgiveness has allowed you access to the very throne of God! It has achieved for you eternal life! Don’t lose sight of this incredible truth.
This is who you are in Christ. You are forgiven.
Ashlee is the Editorial Manager for Hope Mommies. She and her husband, Jesse have four children on earth, and two little ones in Heaven.
You can get to know her more by reading her blog, https://beyondundone.wordpress.com/
Got something to say?