WRITTEN BY TIM LABRECHE
When I was in college, I stole some money from my best friend, Don. It wasn’t a lot, but it wasn’t mine to take. He never noticed so I didn’t say anything. Years later, with the conviction of the Holy Spirit, I confessed my sin to him and asked if he would be able to forgive me. Because he loved me, he laughed it off and forgave me on the spot.
After being married, I allowed a former addiction to enter my life again. The addiction not only affected me, but my bride as well. She was hurt, devastated and wounded. Hurt by me and my choices. Deep wounds. I again, had to humble myself and ask for forgiveness. It came, but not as quickly and easily as Don’s did.
Not only must we also go to each other and ask forgiveness for offenses we’ve done to each other, but we must also go to our Heavenly Father and ask for his forgiveness. 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” In Psalm 103:12 says that, “as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”
This month we celebrate Easter. As believers of Christ, it has nothing to do with whimsical bunnies and colorful eggs, but rather the gruesome sacrifice of our Savior and his miraculous and joyous victory over death. Matthew 26 recounts something significant that happened just before Jesus was crucified on the cross. He shared a meal with his disciples. During the meal, he took his cup, shared it with them and said, in verse 28: “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”
Jesus knew what was ahead. He knew that he would be publicly humiliated and displayed on that cross. He knew that his side would be pierced and that his blood would pour out. In 1 Peter 2:24 it says, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree…” When Christs’ body was nailed to the cross, He was carrying our sins, our dirty little secrets, as well as our incredibly huge fails in Him. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:21 – “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
I was incredibly blessed when my friend Don and my wife forgave me. There may have been times when you have asked for forgiveness from someone and they wouldn’t forgive you. Maybe the offense was too big to forgive in their mind. They possibly have done the same thing to someone else and weren’t forgiven. You cannot control what other people will do. Know that you can be confident that our Father in Heaven will forgive you when you ask. You have access to our God in Heaven’s overflowing forgiveness. When Christ died on that cross, He was made a sacrifice for you and your sins. Go to Him now and ask.
When Asking for Forgiveness:
- Be Truly Repentant. Don’t ask for forgiveness and then turn around and do it again. Being repentant means to turn away from it
. Don’t Dwell on It. When we continually focus on a sin we’ve committed, it keepsit forefront in our mind.- Boldly Ask For Joy! Our Father in Heaven will replace your remorse with unending joy.
