Under the Fig Tree

1 John 1:9

“If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just (true to His own nature and promises) and will forgive our sins [dismiss our lawlessness] and [continuously] cleanse us from all unrighteousness [everything not in conformity to His will in purpose, thought, and action].” AMP

Psalm 103:3;11-12

“Who forgives [every one of] all your iniquities, Who heals [each one of] all your diseases,… For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great are His mercy and loving-kindness toward those who reverently and worshipfully fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” AMP

We serve a God who longs to forgive.

It is part of who He is.

Out of His love He decided to send His one and only son so that we may be forgiven, we can never allow ourselves to trivialise this extraordinary act.

Jesus sacrificed himself on the cross so that we may have new life.

No matter how we look at it, it’s clear that God wants to wipe away our past so that we can live in His present.

But, even so, too often I will ask God for forgiveness without allowing myself the same freedom. I’d still condemn myself even though God has wiped away my past. I rejected the goodness of His grace, and decided to live in my own self-induced punishment.

But when God forgives us, our sin is gone. Regardless of how we feel, or what we think, or what we have done. Jesus’ blood on the cross has wiped it all away. His blood is more powerful than our emotions.

Recently I’ve been struggling with my own stubborn sin, and one thing that is clear to me, is that the more I hold onto my past, the more likely I am to relive it.

We’ve heard it said that forgiveness is freedom, this doesn’t just apply to our relationships with others, but also in how we treat ourselves.

Psalm 51 is David’s cry to be free from his sin after his adultress time with Bathsheba. Even though he had sinned, he knew that God’s forgiveness would remove it all.

We need to ask God to forgive us, let God forget it, and then follow His example in doing so.

Stay Strong.