Daily words - our forgiveness
Daily words - our forgiveness
‘The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.’ (Luke 24 vs 46-47)
The word ‘sin’ is a Bible word. It’s to do with missing a target, falling short of a standard, failing to keep to a set path. Now of course the thing is ‘sin’ isn’t a particularly popular word, it sounds old fashioned, it sounds harsh, it sounds uncomfortable. But the message of the Bible is that we cannot understand who Jesus is, why He came, or what it means to follow Him without reckoning with ‘sin’.
Here’s the twist, when the Bible talks about sin it doesn’t do so to paint us into a hopeless corner. Rather the Bible exposes sin within our hearts, on the way to declaring good news. The good news at the heart of the gospel is that Jesus suffered, died and rose again so we could be forgiven of all our sins. Jesus doesn’t just let us off the hook while still holding onto the records of what we’re done. Jesus offers complete and total forgiveness. This is for ‘all nations’, literally everyone who will do a U-turn away from their sins (also known in the Bible as ‘repentance’).
This is the good news. It is very good news. It is new that can become good news for anyone, everyone, who will turn around and believe in His Name.
Prayer: Father You know there is guilt and regret in my heart that I find very hard to deal with. It never goes away. In repenting of my sins help me to hear those wonderful words: ‘You are forgiven.’ So help me Lord. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.