Welcome to Hank’s Place
Here’s a question you might have. If we have already been forgiven at Calvary, if all our sins have been cast into the sea of forgetfulness, never to be remembered any more, is it wrong to ask for forgiveness?
No, it is not wrong to ask. It IS wrong to say God will not forgive you unless you first repent and confess your sins. That’s putting a price tag on the free gift of grace. Ephesians 1:7 says, “in Him we have… The forgiveness of sins.” He has already done it! Nowhere in the Epistles is there any hint that we need to ask God to forgive us. The writers were aware it was an accomplished fact thanks to the love and the grace of God. Dear friend, quit beating yourself up over sin and trying to make yourself clean. Instead, trust Jesus – rest in His finished work.
Dr Michael Brown, who wrote a book about the dangers of Hyper-Grace, appears to struggle with the magnitude of God’s grace. From his viewpoint there are limits, and the gap is for us to fill with right behavior! Dr Brown begins his book by relating a story of before he was a Christian, and doing drugs. He stole some money out of his dad’s wallet. After becoming a Christian, this theft weighed heavily upon him. He determined he had to confess his sin, tell his father.
When he did get the story out, his father said, “I knew what you had done the moment I opened my wallet. And I forgave you right then and there.” What a picture of the grace of God, His mercy, His compassion. Dr Brown was forgiven, yet he did not realize it, nor was he able to walk in it. Did his confession accomplish forgiveness? Not at all! But when he did bring it out, he did experience a release of a burden he was needlessly carrying.
What’s the takeaway? If we sin, it’s a good thing to admit it to God, not to hide it behind our fig leaves. Homologeo. Agree with God, that it was not a right thing to do, and agree with God in thankfulness that you have already been forgiven. There is nothing you can do to earn forgiveness. It is the grace of God and it is a done deal.
Got a sin burden today? Speak it to God, and COME ALIVE!
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