Today we consider the next phrase from the quote my friend Roger Peer shared often with me, In Christ I am deeply loved, fully pleasing, Totally Forgiven, complete, and accepted.” This should be the shortest blog I have ever written. You may have noticed, if you are a regular here, that each of my blogs are around 500 words. More than that and the blog becomes burdensome, way less than that and the meaning may be lost.
But really? I Am Totally Forgiven is like Christianity 101 – we learn from childhood that God forgives us from our sins: all we have to do is believe, confess, and repent! Voila! Sins gone! “Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the people who believe in Him?” (Micah 7:18)
And then there is this Biblical promise: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (NIV). Jesus spoke to Peter about the woman who had cleaned his feet – while Peter had done nothing when Jesus showed up at his house with dirty feet – and he said, “her many sins have been forgiven – as her great love has shown.” (Luke 7:47).
The “Assurance of Pardon” is my favorite part of corporate worship. My wife Miran and I proudly assert “we are a two-church family,” attending together both her Catholic church and my Presbyterian Church. When the priest/pastor says “You are forgiven, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit” I never ever ever ever hear those words without lifting my hands open to accept such a sweet and powerful gift from Yahweh the creator of the universe. In Christ I am Totally Forgiven! And that’s a fact, Jack!
Indisputable fact, that is if you believe the Bible is the inspired word of God. The Apostle Paul said in Ephesians 4:2 – “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” So, it seems that there is a tad more than just believing and confessing if we are to say with confidence, “I Am Totally Forgiven.” We need to forgive others who have sinned against us. And that is not so easy as believing and confessing, do you agree?
I have been watching a wonderful podcast called “Become New” by pastor John Ortberg, who is currently digging deeply into forgiveness. “We live in a hurting world,” says Ortberg, and “hurting is natural, but forgiveness is supernatural”. Here is a link to one of his 11 minute talks on forgiveness: https://becomenew.com/a-journey-of-forgiveness/?wvideo=q2c1j67gy7&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=278963050&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_MX89Gc7FwE97_KSkAIIiB9CHRS-7GsEbHc0EcaE3m1Th4Px3st-be8Hqm5YybJ4DMiNVyfQdLimJrvi4MnZ4oJrOi3g&utm_content=278963050&utm_source=hs_email&wchannelid=6j8ann7hm0&wmediaid=q2c1j67gy7
Oh my – that was a long link and I hope it works! If not Google “BecomeNew” podcast. “Supernatural” means that true forgiveness can only happen with divine assistance since the human condition reaks of weakness. Only in Christ do I have a chance both to say “I forgive you” and I Am Totally Forgiven.
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