Forgiveness continued…
As I was working on this BLOG today, I was again overwhelmed
by the superiority of God’s forgiveness offered to each of us freely. Not only
is forgiveness the main point in Paul’s presentation of the Gospel, but the
very idea of forgiveness was the mainstay of God’s redemptive plan for
humankind.
As I look around at the world I live in, (and please realize
I have been to many places in the world) poverty and starvation and death are
everywhere, senseless murders and rape are everyday events, countries are
ravaged by corrupt governments…life in a simple word… STINKS.
We live in a broken world, but the good news is that God
never intended for us to be here. God’s plan for us, as Pastor Tom has forced
us to consider over the past few weeks, was a much better plan. We were created
to live in paradise. However, somewhere along the way we began to think of
ourselves as more in control and became less concerned with following the plan
of God. Brokenness resulted.
Psalms 130 gives an amazing picture of this forgiveness at
work in us. The Psalmist says,
“Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord; Lord,
hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. If
you, Lord, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? But with you
there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you.”
God’s plan was forgiveness--to restore us, to clean us up,
and to set us again on a pathway to relationship with Him. That is the beauty of forgiveness and
the beauty of a God who loves us even when we are unlovely.
Ever feel that way?
I encourage you to return to a God who is ready and willing to receive
you back home.
Pastor Rip
So I am reading through the book of Proverbs one chapter a day....Join me!
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