God’s Forgiveness of Your Sin

It’s no secret that we live in a fallen world of sin. From infidelity in relationships, to cheating, to lying, to stealing, sin is everywhere! This sin ruins our life and tears us down.

However, though we live in a world of sin, God is powerful enough to forgive us! But why would he forgive us? And how does he do it? Here are the three pillars to understand about God’s forgiveness of your sins.

God Is The Omnipotent Creator

The Bible teaches us that with His wisdom and power He created the earth and spread out the heavens (Jeremiah 10:12). The prophets praised Him: God said “I am Powerful” (Psalm 62:11) and “Lord God, you stretched out your mighty arm and made the sky and the earth. You can do anything” (Jeremiah 32:17). The Lord says of Himself, “I created everything from the sky above to the earth below” (Isaiah 44:24), and He created all things to be good, in His own estimation – perfect, like Himself, without sin.

God Cannot Stand Sin

But people did sin. And since God “can’t stand sin or wrong” (Habakkuk 1:13a), the sin separated people from God. This is the natural order of Creation, just as darkness cannot exist in the presence of bright light. When you know you have done evil and are disconnected from your Creator, “Your sins are the roadblock between you and your God. That’s why he doesn’t answer your prayers or let you see his face” (Isaiah 59:2).

He Is Powerful Enough To Declare you Innocent

In the book of Exodus 34: 6-7, God declares that He is a fair judge. Just like He is merciful and patient with His people, He also has the power to punish those who sin. “But if we confess our sins to God, he can always be trusted to forgive us and take our sins away” (I John 1:9). In His great love, He“is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against Him” (Daniel 9:9).

God promises this miracle through Jesus Christ alone. When you believe in Him, you can pray, “I have sinned against; I have disobeyed you and have done wrong. So it is right and fair for you to correct and punish me” (Psalm 51:4) ... “Wash me with hyssop until I am clean and whiter than snow” (Psalm 51:7a). No matter your sin or shame, no matter who has come against you, we can be confident of His power to “keep you from falling and make sure and joyful in His glorious presence. Before time began and now and forevermore, God is worthy of glory, honor, power and authority. Amen.” (Jude 1: 24)

Time Line of Final Events

1) YOU ARE HERE (We’re in the year 2006 AD)

2) EARTH’S LAST CRISIS – Luke 21:35; Rev. 3:10. No one knows when it will come, yet it will hit at an unexpected time, like September 11. This crisis could stem from many causes – economic, natural (such as a huge earthquake, etc.), or possibly, a terrorist attack.

3) THE MARK OF THE BEAST IS ENFORCED BY LAW – Rev. 13:16,17 The “mark of the beast” will be enforced by governments around the world as a supposed “solution” to a global, desperate crisis. The majority of Earth’s inhabitants will not realize this is “the mark,” for they will be deceived. Rev. 19:20. The terms “beast” and “mark” are code words in the book of Revelation that God’s people alone will understand. They will know who the “beast” is, and what his “mark” is, while the rest of the world has no clue.

4) THE THREE ANGELS MESSAGES ARE HEARD WORLDWIDE – Rev. 14:6-12 Before anyone receives “the mark,” God will send a special, final message to warn and enlighten a world filled with people He loves and earnestly wants to save. This special message is the message of “The Three Angels.” These angels represent human beings who understand and communicate this exact message with “a loud voice” to “every nation, tribe, tongue, and people” (Rev. 14:6,7). The message is given before the return of Jesus Christ (Rev. 14:14-16).

5) THE FINAL CHOICE – THE SEAL OR THE MARK? – Rev. 7:1-3; 13:16-14:1. During Earth’s last crisis, every living human being will make a final choice – choosing the side of Jesus Christ and the truth (receiving the “seal of God”) or the side of Satan and the “beast” (receiving his “mark”). Humanity will be divided into two great, final classes.

6) THE CLOSING OF HEAVEN’S DOOR OF SALVATION – Rev. 22:11 After everyone has had a chance to make an enlightened, intelligent decision, then the “door of mercy” will close forever, just like the door closed to Noah’s ark before the flood (see Genesis 7:16). Every human being will either be “righteous” and “holy,” or “filthy” and “unjust” (Rev. 22:11). There will be no more changing sides.

7) THE SEVEN LAST PLAGUES FALL – Rev. 16; 14:9-12 The seven last plagues are God’s final judgments upon a world that has rejected His love, the cross of Jesus Christ, the worship of the Creator and full authority of the Ten Commandments (14:7, 12). These plagues fall only upon those who have chosen “the beast” and received its “mark” (Rev. 16:1,2). This time period is also called the “time of trouble” (Daniel 12:1). During this awesome period, God’s people will be fully protected, just like the Israelites were during the falling of the ten plagues in Egypt (see Exodus 7-12; Psalm 91). At the end of this period, God’s faithful ones will be “delivered” (Daniel 12:1).

8) THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON – Rev. 16:14-16 This is the final “battle of that great day of God Almighty.” Jesus Christ returns as “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS” (Rev. 19:11-16) to defeat the global forces of Satan, sin and Babylon (Rev. 16:19) and to deliver His blood-bought, obedient people.

9) THE SECOND COMING OF JESUS CHRIST – Mat. 24:30,31; 1 Thess. 4:16,17 Jesus Christ will return visibly, “with power and great glory,” with “a great sound of a trumpet,” accompanied by billions of shiny, holy angels. He will resurrect “the dead in Christ” (this is the First Resurrection) and “catch up” His living saints into the air. “Sudden destruction” falls upon the lost who have survived the seven plagues (1 Thess. 4:16-5:3).

10) 1000 YEARS, THE SECOND RESURRECTION, THE FINAL JUDGMENT, THE LAKE OF FIRE AND THE NEW EARTH – Rev. 20:1-15; 21:1 After the return of Jesus Christ comes the 1000 years (Rev. 20). At the end of this period comes the second resurrection of “the rest of the dead” who did not participate in the first resurrection (see Rev. 20:5a; 12,13), the final judgment, “the lake of fire” (Rev. 20:14,15) and then the creation of a new heaven and earth (Rev. 21:1). In God’s New Earth, there will be “no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain,

for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said to me, Write: for these words are true and faithful (Rev. 21:4,5). Sin will be gone, and God’s love will reign forever!

Understanding the Humble Nature of Jesus

Power, like control, can become an idol in our lives. The world tells us to be powerful, to be fast, to be strong, and to be in control. Even just recently in the Olympics, we watched the worlds most physically powerful people come together to compete against each other and admired and envied the power they had. Though there is a time and a place for power in acts like sport, we so often desire power and lean on our own power which moves our focus away from God.

One of the best ways to resist the unhealthy desire for power in our lives is to model our lives after the humble nature of Jesus. His surrender of power, described by the Apostle Paul in Philippians, was one of the most amazing things he ever did!

How do we stay humble like Jesus? First, we have to understand in what ways he was humble...

1. Remember that He was God, yet still humble

Jesus was not just a good man or even a great man. In Matthew 28:18, he said, “All power has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” He was God in the flesh – the One who had existed for all eternity, the great “I AM” (John 8:58). He created the world and maintains it (Hebrews 1:2-3).

2. He humbled himself to become a human

Yet all that greatness, the immortal and eternal, was somehow squeezed into a human body.

In his time on earth, Jesus chose to limit his power. He healed some sick people and performed many miracles. He had all the power and yet He lived His life under submission to the Father. Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does” (John 5:19).

3. Know that He gave up his life

“When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross” (Philippians 2:7b-8). Jesus’ captors beat him, taunted him, brutally whipped him, and then nailed his hands and feet to a cross. He resisted the temptation to reveal himself the as Almighty God. His plan from the beginning was to give his life for us, because “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13).

4. He was exalted

“Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11). What a great day that will be, when every human being honors Jesus as Lord. And to extent we imitate Jesus‘ humility, we will be exalted: “So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor” (1 Peter 5:6).

The Idolatry of Control

We might not think of Control as an idol. Yet anything that we come to value more than God, is an idol. And as humans, we love to feel like we are in control of our own life, our destiny.

We believe we have control over our health, our job, our finances, and our relationships. However, that’s not the case. There is only one Sovereign, one Master of the Universe, and it is God, not us.

Here are just three important things that we cannot control ourselves, but God does:

1. How long we will live

We can take care of our bodies with proper diet and exercise. We’re told that this will allow us a long, healthy and full life.

But how long will we really live? That’s up to God. There are no guarantees no matter how hard we try.

Psalm 139:16 puts it plainly: “You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.”

An accident or attack can end our life at any moment regardless of how careful and healthy we are.

Because of this, we can’t trust ourselves with our lives. Rather, we must put our trust in God, for He has each moment planned.

2. Our Success

There are countless articles here on the internet that explain how to gain success from business, schooling, and changing your mindset. But, does that mean that success is guaranteed if only we just work hard? Not necessarily.

“Look here, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.’ How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.” James 4:13-14

Just think... sometimes a business opportunity promises success. Though you might make a lot of money, you could also lose all of it. Or as this verse says, you might not even be alive tomorrow! (Also see Luke 12:16-21.)

3. Other People’s Decisions

Just as we believe we can control our own success, we believe we can control other people’s decisions and opinions. But, can we really?

“As for my companion, he betrayed his friends; he broke his promises” (Psalm 55:20).

Even if we are loving and kind, those closest to us can disappoint or even betray us. Marriages, can result in infidelity, friends can break promise, and children often go astray, even when we parent them the best we know how. Other people are simply not under our control.

So, what does this all mean? Should we stop trying to care for our bodies, stop trying to make plans, or to stop building good relationships? No, the Bible tells us that these are all important (1 Corinthians 6:19; Luke 14:29).

It does mean that we seek God’s will above our own, and remember every day that His plans are the ones that will never fail! The more we submit to His will and His plans, the more we will experience His peace and joy — even when things don’t turn out the way we planned.

Wounds are Better Than Kisses?

We all seek happiness in life, and we often look for the answer in worldly things like making lots of money, getting a great job, or even finding the perfect significant other. Can you relate? Though the world makes us believe these things will satisfy us, true comfort and happiness do not come from worldly things. Rather, happiness comes from God, and the Bible shows us this over and over again.

Let’s be reminded of Esau, the firstborn and favorite son of Abraham’s son, Isaac. In Genesis 25 and 27, it tells how he lost his birthright and blessing. Esau ignored what was important to his father. His life shows what can happen to “those who look to this world for their reward.” (Ps. 17:14) Expect trouble from the world (John 16:33), even persecution (John 15:20).

Friendship with the world is an offense to God (James 4:4). Instead, love the world the way Jesus did (John 3:16): Reject all its temptations (1 John 2:15-16), deny yourself, and embrace the cross (Luke 9:23). The only way to really win in life is to resist the satisfaction the world offers (Mark 8:35). Christians gain victory over the world by our faith (1 John 5:4)! How amazing is that?

Many of the Bible’s stories are warnings about looking for comfort from the world rather than from God to help us learn more about how we avoid making the same mistakes. Let’s learn from the stories of three men…

1. Samson: A Story Of Entitlement And Pride

Samson felt his chosen status (Judges 13:7) and great strength gave him the right to immorality. He once set eyes on an attractive pagan woman and told his parents, “I want to marry her. Get her for me” (Judges 14:2).

Can you relate to these lustful and entitled feelings? Many of us can. The world may make us believe that these feelings are okay, but what does the Bible tell us?

Samson was deceived by Delilah, blinded and enslaved in the temple of an idol. This is a warning and a reminder to us to not live our lives in the same way.

2. Demas: A Lover Of The Present World

The Apostle Paul once considered Demas a fellow worker, naming him with Gospel writers Mark and Luke. But the last mention of him is: “Demas has deserted me because he loves the things of this life” (2 Timothy 4:10).

Demas proved to be “The seed that fell among the thorns” in Jesus’ Sower parable, which “represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced” (Matthew 13:22).

3. Jonah: A Bitter Witness Of God’s Salvation Plan

The “overthrow” of Nineveh (Jonah 3:4) was a spiritual one. But this miraculous evangelistic call was preached by a hostile witness, Jonah. God provided him a shady shelter to observe the results, but then suddenly took it away. “And the sun’s heat came upon Jonah’s head so that he became weak and begged with all his heart to die” (Jonah 4:8). Instead of being overjoyed (the way God was -- Luke 15:10), with the repentance of the city, Jonah ends with bitter opposition to God’s plan of salvation.

Christians often remind themselves of Romans 8:28-29 when trouble arises:

“…God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son…”

Any time you’re dissatisfied with what God allows, remember that the trouble and persecution of the world are symptoms of its hatred for Christ—and for His children. Discipline demonstrates you’re His child, as Hebrews 12:5-14 explains. The verses following these (15-17), show God’s perspective on the world’s children: “Make sure that no one is immoral or godless like Esau, who traded his birthright as the firstborn son for a single meal. You know that afterward, when he wanted his father’s blessing, he was rejected. It was too late for repentance, even though he begged with bitter tears.”

The Idolatry of People-Pleasing

A story in the Bible's book of Numbers shows how dangerous the desire to “please men” can be (Colossians 3:22). This story is mentioned a lot in the Bible. Each mention comes with a warning.

God wants us to take note: what can this story teach us about ourselves?

1. It is Dangerous To Look For God’s Permission And Not His Approval

Fearing Israel, King Balak sent for the prophet Balaam. God told Balaam not to go. King Balak persisted, so Balaam asked God again.

God seemed persuaded: he gave Balaam permission to go. On his journey, the donkey he was riding was blocked by an angel with a drawn sword. The donkey refused to keep going, angering Balaam so much that he beat the animal. Before he could kill her, God allowed the donkey to speak, warning him of the danger. God then opened Balaam’s eyes to see the angel standing ready to kill him!

Just as the donkey’s actions went against Balaam’s plan for her, Balaam himself had nearly been killed for resisting God. But Balaam presses again, and finds the permission, (not the approval), of God.

2. There is Danger in Getting Around God’s Purposes

Accompanying the messengers back to Midian, Balaam at first blesses Israel instead of cursing them. God had warned him to do only as he was told.(Numbers 22:20) Balak is furious. Later we’re told (Numbers 31:16) that Balaam taught the Midianite women to seduce the Israelite men into idolatry.(Numbers 25:1-3) Terrified by Balak, Balaam cunningly thought of a way to curse the Israelites without speaking the curse himself, still a violation of God's instructions.

3. The Outcome of the Fear of Man

Balaam’s conduct shows perversion in a believer's walk:

The “way of Balaam” (2 Peter 2:15) — “against” God. (Numbers 22:32) If it was to his advantage, Balaam didn’t fear taking God's mercy for granted. In his heart, he said, “God has said ‘no’ to this--maybe there's a way I can do it anyway.”

The “error of Balaam” (Jude 11) — failing to learn the lesson of the encounter. Balaam was physically stopped and even threatened.

The “doctrine of Balaam” (Revelation 2:14) — passing this attitude along. Balaam was willing to try to spoil the purpose of God.

Presumption leads to the error of trying to get around God’s will. This means we manipulate, teach or become a bad example, leading others down the same corrupt path. Balaam may have said the Lord was his God. But he had idolatry in his life all along: respect of human favor over God’s. How much will God allow if we presume upon His grace? Balaam’s idolatry led him to serve God’s enemies, curse himself (Numbers 23:9) and demonstrate God’s denial of his prayers (Numbers 23:10) in the manner of his death. (Numbers 31:8)

Jesus Delivers Us

Recently, a Bible teacher asked…

“do you want Jesus to deliver you out of the place that brings you suffering?” Sometimes a broken heart, financial trouble or addiction keeps us away from God. Only the grace of Jesus can make us whole in every situation and carries us through it.

When King David cried out to God in Psalm 25:16-18, he said, “Turn to me and have mercy, for I am alone and in deep distress. My problems go from bad to worse. Oh, save me from them all! Feel my pain and see my trouble. Forgive all my sins.”

With King David’s prayer in mind, let’s explore how God has the power to set us free from from our troubles and how to look to Jesus to deliver us:

First, How Can You Be Delivered?

Listen to the words of Jesus, “I tell you the truth; those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life.” (John 5:24)

In this world, suffering is unavoidable. But the next world will be free from it. Getting to know the Son of God personally and accepting His gift of eternal life is the way to gain Heaven: His deliverance from all worldly suffering.

Know that Faith is what brings Deliverance.

Have faith that the Son of God, Yeshua, can set you free. Hebrews 11:6 tells us, “… it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to Him must believe that God exists and that He rewards those who sincerely seek Him.” Believe in Him in your heart.

Know Jesus’ Desire for You to be Delivered and Whole.

True faith asks, believing Jesus is willing, but understanding He may have better plans.

The leper in Matthew 8:1-3 believed in Christ's ability but humbly asked for healing: “Large crowds followed Jesus as he came down the mountainside. Suddenly, a man with leprosy approached him and knelt before him. “Lord,” the man said, “if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean.” Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” And instantly the leprosy disappeared.”

The Apostle Paul also asked for healing, but discovered that it was more important for him to trust in Christ's sufficiency than to experience physical healing. (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)

Ask yourself … how great is your burden?

Do you feel like you’ve done too much or have gone through too much in your life to be delivered? You’re not alone.

With Christ, there is peace that supasses all of our temporary troubles here on earth. This peace comes from knowing that we can only find victory in Jesus. So, “Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts.” (Hebrews 3:7) Because he has overcome the world, bringing us everlasting hope, no struggle can keep us from it. “For God says, “At just the right time, I hear you. On the day of Salvation, I helped you.”( 2 Corinthians 6:2).

It doesn’t matter how great the burden you carry.

Jesus is greater.