Forgiven part 2
Look at what Jesus said to the Apostle Paul regarding Paul's mission, "To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me" (Acts 26:18). And notice what being forgiven does: It doesn't save us from a punishment to come, but it brings us out of the bondage that we were in! That's why forgiven someone, or being forgiven, is so powerful. I've heard it described like this: When you forgive someone it's like unlocking a prison cell, only to realize that YOU were the one in jail. Man... I really wish we could get past this idea of good and evil. Past this idea of crime and punishment. And, as always, I'm not saying your actions don't have consequences. Of course they do. Everything you do has an equal and opposite reaction, right? Everything you do affects people and things. No man is an island and no one lives in a vaccuum. The things we do matter. But I'm convinced that there is NOT an angry God somewhere waiting for us to mess up so He can get us. No parent wants to punish their child. Parents will correct their children, but that's a whole different Rant. What I'm saying is, we need to be forgiven so that we can stop looking at ourselves as guilty. So we can come out of the darkness and into the light. So we can feel like we belong. I think part of the reason so many people run FROM God instead of running TO God is because they feel guilty. Forgiveness deals with that guilt. Why is there no condemnation in Christ? Because we are forgiven! Because God is not holding anything against us. He took away our sins--and that's a big deal--but He also FORGAVE our sins. And in some ways that's an ever bigger deal. Because now that I'm forgiven... my conscious is clear. Let me say it this way, "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him" (2 Corinthians 5:21). Jesus became who I was (a sinner, or an unbeliever) so that I could become who He is. I'm NOT a sinner saved by grace. Before the cross I WAS a sinner, but then I got saved by grace and now I'm something new. Now I'm the righteousness of God. Now I don't have a sin conciousness, but a God consciousness. Now I'm dead to sin but alive to God. Now my eyes are open--the eyes of grace, or the doves' eyes of the Holy Spirit--and I can see clearly. I can see God clearly--as my loving heavenly Father--and I can see myself clearly--as His beloved Son in whom He is well pleased. Daddy's not mad at me, He's mad ABOUT me. He loves me--not because of what I do, but because of who I am, and who He is. He has forgiven me. And tomorrow we're going to look at exaclty how, and why, and when that forgiveness took place.