The Proof That You Are Forgiven!
by Bob Christopher
The 28 Day Forgiveness Challenge -- Day 21
Through Christ's act of propitiation, God showed us that he is just. He dealt with our sin. He didn't ignore it or sweep it under some heavenly carpet. He judged it, he condemned it, and he punished it. All obligations were fully satisfied. But that was not the end goal.
God is both just and the justifier. He freely justifies "the one who has faith in Jesus" (Romans 3:26). That's you.
Not only did God take away your sins, he declared you to be righteous. This is the proof that your sins have been forgiven and that God is fully satisfied with you. This means you are in right standing with God. You didn't work your way to that status. God justified you freely by his grace.
How does this play out in daily living? We still sin, don't we? And each sin we commit still deserves punishment. The punishment we deserve is death.
Yet, God says to those who are in Christ, "Your sins have been forgiven." How do we know that punishment is not waiting for us sometime in the future? What is the proof?
Justification!
God justifies sinners and declares them right in his sight on the basis of Christ's finished work on the cross.
The work is done. Jesus wants us to trust and depend on Him. It's in that trust that we can watch him work all things together for our good. We can trust him because he satisfied the law on our behalf. His punishment was our punishment. In exchange, His righteousness became our righteousness.
The fact that God has declared us righteous in His sight is proof that all of our sins have been forgiven - past, present and future. They have been sent away from us as far as the east is from the west and righteousness has been credited to our account. On the basis of Jesus' shed blood, God treats us as if we had never sinned.
Forgiveness Challenge #21 - Do you believe that Jesus died for all of your sins? Do you believe that his blood satisfied the law for every sin you have committed or will commit in the future? Here is the proof:
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 5:1 (ESV)
Bob Christopher | August 24, 2014 at 6:00 am | Categories: 28 Day Forgiveness Challenge, Forgiveness | URL: The Proof That You Are Forgiven! | Bob Christopher Online