FORGIVEN LIFE

Allowing our past mistakes and sins to influence our minds and hearts is another way of robbing us of the peace that we have in our Lord Jesus. There is no denying that we have sinned against God, but we have to embrace in our hearts the grace that God has lavished on us through His death on the cross. God's death on the cross paid the consequences of our past sins, no matter how small or big they were. When God said that we are forgiven, we are forgiven indeed. As a result, we can move on and live in the present. The book of Zechariah in the Old Testament gave us a good illustration of how much God has cleansed us from our past sins. In Zechariah 3:1-10, the high priest Joshua was accused by Satan, or the adversary, of all his sins and the sins of his people, Israel, before God. All the accusations that Satan made against Joshua and the people of Israel were true. They were as guilty as they could be, and they did not deserve the presence of God. However, because of God's mercy and grace, God rejected all of Satan's accusations against Joshua and the Israelites. 

God did not ignore Joshua's and the Israelites' sins; rather, He forgave them because of His grace and mercy. In the same situation, God has forgiven our past sins, and we do not need to dwell on them. God has given us freedom from our past sins so that we can live in the present with His peace in our minds and hearts. God has forgiven us, and we have to forgive ourselves. When Satan tries to accuse us of our past sins, we need to remind ourselves that God has wiped away our past sins, and God will never use our past sins against us. Psalm 103:12 says, "He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west." So, we need to live like the apostle Paul lived. He said, "No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead (Philippians 3:13)." Paul is saying that he has not arrived at perfection, but he is not allowing the past to stop him from going forward. 

God forgives our sins to restore our relationship with Him. As our relationship with Him is restored, we can be what God wants us to be. God wants us to let go of guilt and shame from our past sins. This way, we can move forward and do great things in life for His glory and honor.

Questions for application: (Think through these questions carefully, meditate on them while answering them, and let the Spirit of God speak to you.) What did God do to all the sins that I have confessed to God? Can God use my past sins against me? Why not? What is the reason God forgave my past sins?

Take a moment to write down all your worries today. Then, lift them up to God in prayer, surrendering them to His will and trusting in His guidance.

Prayer:

Dear Father in Heaven, thank you for forgiving all my past sins, and you will never use them against me. Thank you for your grace and mercy. Please help me live a forgiven life so that I can enjoy the freedom and peace that I have in you. In your name, Jesus, I pray. Amen.