July 22, 2023
Topic: Benefits of God’s Presence – FORGIVENESS
Text: Reading: Psalm 25: 5-9
Memory Verse: ” Do not remember the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you, LORD, are good. Good and upright is the LORD; therefore He instructs sinners in His ways.” Ps. 25: 7-8 NIV
FORGIVENESS as defined in the dictionary is “the action or process of forgiving or being forgiven” while forgiveness according to the Bible is letting go of sin. This includes forgiving everyone, every time, of everything or every wrong they may have done to us, as an act of obedience and gratefulness to God.
God loves us so much that He provided a way for us to be forgiven, and that way is through Jesus Christ. Jesus confirmed and said “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). God’s plan of salvation was to send Jesus, His only Son, into the world as a sacrifice for sins.
Apart from us receiving forgiveness from God in His presence, the Bible states that when someone hurts us, we are under obligation to God to forgive that person, “for if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins” (Matthew 6:14-15). Nothing compares to the freedom we feel when we learn to forgive others. When we choose not to forgive, we become slaves to bitterness and fear. Instead of hurting others, we end up being the ones most hurt whenever we hold on to unforgiveness.
Coming into God’s presence makes us to search our hearts and ask for his forgiveness in any way we may have sinned against him. This brings about freedom to ask for anything we so desire through the name of Jesus Christ.
Is there anyone you are yet to forgive? This is the time to repent, and then turn to God, so that your sins can be wiped out and pave the way for experiences of times of refreshing from the Lord.
Prayer: Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit with in me. Do not cast me from Your presence or take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.