#254: God's Offer of Forgiveness

The 5 Minute Discipleship Podcast

As we become a disciple of Jesus Christ, one of the critical truths we must understand is our need for God’s forgiveness. Sometimes I hear the gospel message being shared and there is an absence of any discussion of sin and forgiveness.

The reason we need Jesus in our lives is because we are sinners. We need his forgiveness for our sins. We need his grace, his mercy, and his pardon.

This truth is critical if we are going to have an understanding of our salvation. You see, when we place our faith in Jesus Christ, we are not just believing in his existence. We are believing that his death on the cross was sufficient payment for our sins. When we decide to trust Jesus Christ as our Savior, we are deciding that we will no longer trust ourselves, which is incapable to save.

King David understood this when he wrote Psalm 51:4 – “Against you, you only, I have sinned and done what is evil in your sight.”

When we sin, we are “missing the mark.” We are falling short of God’s standard of right living. We are rejecting the way he has designed for us to live and are following our own desires. This is what sin is. Jesus says because of our sin, we owe God a debt.

When Jesus taught his disciples the Lord’s prayer, which is a model for praying, one of the things he prayed was, “Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.”

How amazing it is that God offers us forgiveness. There is nothing more wonderful than knowing that all of your sins have been forgiven by God. What peace this brings into our lives!

As we read the Bible we learn that we are sinners and are in need of God’s forgiveness. As we read God’s Word our sin becomes visible in our lives. The Bible tells us God’s Word is like a mirror, it reveals to us who we really are. It’s at moments like this that we all face a temptation to downplay what’s going on in our lives. We say things like:

• I’m not that bad!
• I’m ok…I’ve got this under control!
• I wouldn’t really call it a sin, it’s more of a weakness, it’s a struggle that I currently have
• Well…no one is perfect!
• Yes, I could improve, but compared to other people…

Here’s the truth: What matters is not how I see myself, nor does it matter how I compare to other people. What matters is how God sees me.

God’s forgiveness is our ur greatest need. You see, sin is our rebellion against God. It’s our determination to live by our own rules. It’s a rejection of God’s standard of living, for one we feel is more convenient and more enjoyable.

We think we need a lot of things, but our greatest need is forgiveness of sins! Unless we are forgiven you and I will never have a relationship with God.

Romans 6:23 – “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

This is why Jesus came. Because of God’s great love for us, he sent his Son, Jesus to come and die in our place. The Bible says, he became sin for us. He took all of our sin upon himself, and he died as our sacrifice. He is our substitute. The death of Jesus satisfied God. We no longer have to die. Forgiveness is offered to us as we place our faith in Jesus as the Son of God, and as we trust the finished work of Jesus on the cross in our place.

Psalm 103:12 – “As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us”

Acts 10:43 – “Everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name”

Today’s Challenge: You are never closer to the grace of Jesus Christ than when you confess your sins to him. Today if you need his forgiveness, don’t hesitate or delay. Stop where you are right now. Confess your sins to God. Ask for his forgiveness. He offers it freely.