“This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,” then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” (Hebrews 10: 16, 17 NKJV)
A pastor once made a comment that at the end of long summer days, when evening came and it was time to head for his house, there was only one thing on his mind. Though he was hungry, he was not thinking of food and though tired, he was not thinking of bed. The one thing he could not ignore was the fact that he was dirty and he just wanted to be clean. He wanted to be washed from the dirt and sweat of the day. Have we ever had this type of feeling before? Has the dirt and sweat of mistakes and sin covered us at any time to the point of embarrassment and we just want to be clean?
The above text of the Scripture says the promise of God makes this possible. God says, He will cleanse us to the extend that our sins and lawless deeds will not be remembered again.
Stories of God’s forgiveness fill the Bible. We have read how God forgave the Hebrew people over and over again from Adam and Eve to Paul. God made a covenant, the people broke the covenant and God forgave. The text above reveals the difference between two forms of covenant – the old and the new. Under the old, sacrifices must often be repeated, and after all, only pardon as to this world was to be obtained by them. Whereas, the new covenant makes provision for full and final pardon. Under the new, one sacrifice is enough to procure for all nation and ages, spiritual pardon, or being freed from punishment in the world to come. God’s Word also makes it clear that Jesus Christ made this possible, through His death on the cross. He has set us free from sin, the Law and the guilt that sin and the Law bring.
It is however painful to note that many Christians are living defeated lives today because they are hanging onto their pasts. They see their sins more than they see the solution God has provided to their sins which is the blood of Jesus. They spend more of their time dwelling on their sins, than dwelling on what Jesus has done for them. This may probably be the reason why many have also not been able to offer full pardon to those who have offended them.
Nobody can give what he or she does not have or have refused to accept. Have you accepted the offer of full pardon of your sins? What effort have we made to forgive others having received and accepted full pardon for our own sins? Please remember that forgiveness means laying down grievances and letting go of the right to take revenge. We let go of bitterness. We choose to stop dwelling on what the one who hurt us has done. It also helps us to give room for error or weakness.
Beloved, when we choose to embrace forgiveness and extend it to others, we will experience peace. But when we hold on to wrongs done to us, there will be the opposite: torment, anger, frustration and anxiety.
Have a peaceful week as you appreciate and accept the pardon God freely offered you in Christ.
Your brother, Vicar & Archdeacon
Igein Isemede
PRAYER FOR THE YEAR
Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, You have revealed to us that “a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” Teach us to realize that happiness in life does not depend on the measure of material things we may call our own, but on the use we, as good stewards, make of what You have committed to our care.
Grant us the grace to desire not so much an abundance of goods but rather an abundant life of service to You and to all people. Teach us how to use Your gifts, both spiritual and material, that our life may be acceptable to You, that we may be able to continue in the abundant life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.