You can be forgiven
When God gave His only Son, He did that for a lost world. Jesus didn’t came for those who (think they) are perfect, He came for the hopeless and the broken hearted. He didn’t came to give us a set of rules to live by, He came to restore the relationship between you and God. He came to offer Himself as a sacrifice at the cross, so that you can be forgiven for everything you did and for everything you will ever do.
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:3-12
Until the moment that Jesus came, the only way to be righteous was to live by the laws of Moses. Those laws were made to make man aware of sin, so that they could live a holy life under the blessing of God. The unfortunate thing however, is that no one can live according the law for 100%. It is impossible. God knew that very well. But based on the law we all deserved His judgment. With the sacrifice of Jesus, that all changed (Read the study “Why we need Jesus Christ).
Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.
Matthew 5:17
Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, “Which is the first commandment of all?” Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” So the scribe said to Him, “Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He. And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”
Mark 12:28-34
Now what is the difference? First Jesus says that He didn’t came to destroy the law, but at the same time He told them that He came to fulfill the law. The difference lies in the motivation. When you try to obey the law, you’re driven by the law and that law is reigning over you. Since no one is able to live completely according the law, the motivation is guilt. Now Jesus gave a very important key in Mark 12, when they asked Him what the first commandment of all was: “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” Then He added: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Now what have those commandments in common with the law? It first starts with loving God above everything else. It means that He is the highest priority in your life. Love is a choice you make with your will, it’s not an emotion in the first place. With your free will you make the choice to love God. When you start doing that, your emotions will follow as well, but is first starts with a choice. God already showed His love by giving His only Son for you. In fact you’re replying that love by making a choice to love Him back. The thing that happens then, is that a relationship starts to grow between you and God. While this relationship is growing, keeping the law is no longer a must, you want to keep the law yourself because you don’t want to hurt Gods feelings. Then you will no longer live under the law, but under His grace. When you’re living out of grace, you’re driven by love and Jesus is reigning over you. See the difference?
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.
Ephesians 2:8,9
Grace is a gift that God wants to give you. It is His present for you. It is a gift you can accept or deny. His forgives, His grace, can be yours today. The only thing you need to do is to accept His gift of grace for you and to start a relationship with Him. It’s all about your motivation, so change your motivation and your actions will change as well. If your motivation is love (out of grace), then your actions will be done out of that love. If your motivation is guilt and shame (out of the law), then your actions will be…
Sometimes I hear people talking about ‘terrible sins’ and about ‘less terrible sins’. I understand that way of thinking, but yet it is the way of the world. In this world people are being punished regarding to what they did. In the spiritual world, Gods world, there is only one sin: the sin against love. That is something to think about isn’t it? When you steal from someone, that’s a sin against love. When you murder someone, that’s also a sin against love. For God a sin is a sin and for Him all sins are just as terrible, because every sin is a sin against His love or against the love to your neighbors.
As for you, you don’t have to be afraid that your sins are to bad to be forgiven. Every sin you’ve ever committed, was a sin against love. God is faithful and full of grace. His love for you never fails and never stops. You can be totally and utterly forgiven!
