Carolinsblog

Someone releases the guilt of someone else this person has brought upon himself because of failure or willful offense.

We know how we can forgive eachother and we do this now and then…

But what does forgiveness look like in relation to God concerning our failure and sin?

One might immediately think of words like “grace”, “mercy” and “love” and that is exactly what I want to talk about now because the work on the cross accomplished exactly what? the way to God. But through what? by reconciliation. God reconciled himself with his people. He bore at this cross our sin, failure, offense, rebellion, abuse of his love, small-mindedness so that we can have life. When Jesus bore all that on the cross… and died for all our sin and failure, why then are we still holding all our sins and guilt and all mistakes we make against ourselves?

Jesus died back then – approximately 2 000 years – for our guilt which we brought upon us much, much later. His sacrifice at the cross was on our behalf because we deserved God’s judgment. When he gave his life, there on golgotha, he cleansed us. This refers to all whom God gave faith before Jesus’ death, to all whom God gave faith to at the time when Jesus lived on earth and in the same way to all who believe now. Why do I say all this? – because it is unbelievably important to understand. Our Lord suffered back then this death and he rose again so that our guilt could be atoned for. Guilt we have already done, that with which we are struggling right now and in the same way guilt which we will load on ourselves in the future. We are finite, flawed, we fail from time to time and do what we actually do not want to do. We can be secure in Jesus that he has already borne all this. But that does not mean that we just live our lives the way we want it and that nothing matters – no, the opposite is the case. Because we hate sin and the evil and towards the love of God – who is eternally holy and blameless – we do everything we can to avoid these things which could bring us to fall.

Because God is holy and we face the goal of Christ-likeness we live day by day in grace. God says that his grace never ends and where sin is manifold, grace overflows even more. We need grace, every day anew… Out of the knowledge that God loves us and is gracious to us – he is even more merciful to us than we are to ourselves – we live a free life because we know: Jesus bought all this, accomplished everything and he said: It is finished! We are completely forgiven. Finished. There is nothing to add.

We, as God’s children, can live in the assurance that we are already justified before God and there is no more condemnation for us.

Why do we burden ourselves with this guilt again and with the tormenting thoughts of ‘not being good enough, because…’? If we accept our worth in Him and believe in Him who gave up his righteous life for us, finite and unworthy people, we will experience the true freedom because we are called for freedom in Christ! We are already free, but do we believe it… and do we accept this blessing for us? Jesus… He is the way, the truth and the life – He keeps what He promises.

Through Him we live and have a fulfilled life. Nothing is more glorious than He alone.

Thank you, Jesus!

Your Carolin