Posts Tagged: receiving forgiveness from God vs. taking forgiveness for granted
“Overwhelming Sins, Overwhelming Forgiveness”
“Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion,
and to you shall vows be performed.
O you who hear prayer,
to you shall all flesh come.
When iniquities prevail against me,
you atone for our transgressions.” (Psalm 65:1-3, English Standard Version)
I am always struck by the second line of vs. 3. The first line doesn’t surprise me in the least. Iniquities often prevail against me. I’m only too familiar with that dynamic.
But to say that when my wrong-doings overwhelm me, then—precisely then—God atones for those wrong-doings?!? What! That is non-sequitur on steroids!
And yet, that is what the psalmist is saying.
Sometimes, those of us who are Christians fall into the trap of thinking that the Old Testament is about law and God’s wrath, and the New Testament is about grace and God’s loving forgiveness.
Nope! Law and wrath, grace and loving forgiveness are in both the New and the Old Testaments.
So, as the author of Hebrews (New Testament) says, “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16, New International Version)
How much it cost God to atone for our transgressions is made fully apparent at the cross of Christ. Such love and forgiveness can be received as a gift, but it should never be taken for granted.
DOWN TO EARTH BELIEVER
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- “The Process in Miracles and the Miracle of Process” March 11, 2024“2 Kings 5:1 Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master and in high favor, because by him the LORD had given victory to Syria. He was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper. 2 Now the Syrians on one of their raids […]
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- “Delighting in Being Told What to Do?!?” February 23, 2024“Psa. 112:1 Praise the LORD! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who greatly delights in his commandments! 2 His offspring will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. 3 Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures […]
- “Character is the Real Lesson” January 19, 2024I am often confused about what lesson I’m really supposed to be learning. For example, this morning I was trying to knock out several Spanish lessons. My intentions were a lot better than my internet connection. I’ve done three lessons. Or rather, I’ve done two lessons. One of them I did twice because the internet […]
- “The Year of Becoming Un-Planked” January 1, 2024Each year, I try to come up with one word or a short phrase for what I intend to work on in the upcoming year. 2024 is “The Year of Becoming Un-Planked”. What?!! What does that even mean? So glad that you asked! Jesus said to his disciples, “Why do you look at the speck […]
- “Searching for the Noble One” December 26, 2023My wife and I were reading Luke, chapter 2 on Christmas Day. Luke 2 talks about the shepherds being told to look for this very special child—in fact, this King—in a stable. I prefer the word “barn”. I grew up on a farm. I know what a barn is. A stable is entirely too biblical […]
- “That Don’t Impress God Much” December 14, 2023DTEB, “That Don’t Impress God Much” “That Don’t Impress Me Much” (Song by Robert John Lange and Shania Twain) Micah 6:8 (MSG) “But he’s already made it plain how to live, what to do, what God is looking for in men and women. It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be […]
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