Psalm 103:8-12
Completely
“God is sheer mercy and grace; not easily angered, he’s rich in love. He doesn’t endlessly nag and scold, nor hold grudges forever. He doesn’t treat us as our sins deserve, nor pay us back in full for our wrongs. As high as heaven is over the earth, so strong is his love for those who fear him. And as far as sunrise from sunset, he has separated us from our sins.” Psalm 103:8-12 from The Message
Here’s a question.
How forgiven are we?
Seriously.
How forgiven are we?
Partially? Half? Three-Quarters? Not at all?
Before we get to the answer, I think we should talk a little bit about how people think about this, perhaps how you think about this.
In my listening and observing, I think many people talk about mercy and forgiveness in theory but either can’t or won’t apply it to themselves. We listen to and read messages about God’s grace poured out on the cross through Jesus, and even comprehend that, but allow it only to reach the edge of our lives and not let it all the way in.
Why?
One reason is because our understanding of God is warped. Many of us think of God as an angry old prison warden who just wants to keep us all in line. But then we hear, “God is sheer mercy and grace; not easily angered, he’s rich in love. He doesn’t endlessly nag or scold, nor hold grudges forever.” Now, of course, I have to tell you that yes, God hates sin and injustice. And God is merciful and just at the same time. His mercy was demonstrated in the sending of his only son to die on the cross; his justice was demonstrated in that his only son died on the cross for the sins of the world, not his own. The justice for the sins of the world had to be paid for because God is holy – no way around that. The mercy is that we don’t have to pay that awful price of sin – the debt is forgiven through faith in Jesus.
And it is in Christ that, “He doesn’t treat us as our sins deserve, nor pay us back in full for our wrongs.”
And that leads us to another reason why we have a tough time with “How forgiven are we?” I think some of us feel like God punishes us, especially when we are going through a difficult time. Sometimes we mix some karma in when it doesn’t apply (and doesn’t exist). Many of us have trouble receiving God’s grace because we are too busy thinking we are “getting what we deserved” for the wrongs in our lives. This is not to say there aren’t consequences for sin in the world and even for our own sins – but believe me, we are not getting what we deserve in the present – that is what hell is for. And, as it says in 2 Peter 3:9, “God…is holding back the End because he doesn’t want anyone lost. He’s giving everyone space and time to change.”
And here is what many of us do with this “space and time to change” – we carry the burden of guilt of past sins and wrongs. We carry that burden like a piano on our backs. Sometimes we forget that it is there and then we remember and are crushed by the thought of it. We think, “I will never be able to unload this guilt; it is never going away.” We conclude, “I have done many terrible things in my life – all my sins are beyond God’s grace.”
Not so fast…are you ready for the best part?
First – if our sins were unable to be overcome by God’s grace, that would make us more powerful than God. Wrong. So let’s fix that one – there is no amount of sins that are greater than God’s grace – that is the Father, Son, Holy Spirit formula. But here’s more, “And as far as sunrise (east) from sunset (west), he has separated us from our sins.” Here we are walking around with our guilt and God would say, “Guilt for what?” And we would say, “You know, for all my sins.” And God would say, “What sins?” Because as far as the east is from the west, our sins are remembered no more in Jesus Christ. “In the arms of your mercy I find rest; you know just how far the east is from the west; from one scarred hand to the other,” as Casting Crowns sings in their song, “East to West.”
So, you ask, “How forgiven are we?”
Completely. The all inclusive grace of God is completely ours through Jesus. More complete than our past or sins, more complete than our guilt.
My prayer for you today, perhaps for the first time or in a renewed way – is that you awaken to, and more fully receive the peace and grace you have been searching for, been thirsting for in this complete forgiveness.
Because it’s for you. It was purchased on the cross for you to own – not to borrow or rent. It’s not some theory; it’s not just for holy people. It’s not based on what others think. It’s not something that anyone else can add to or take away from. It’s for you to completely grab hold of as you let go of all the past and sins and guilt.
Amen.
Discussion Questions
- If we are fully forgiven in Christ, how should that feel? How would it be different that how we are living today?
- How much does guilt affect you? What are some ways you can let go of guilt?
- Is confessing or laying down your sins to God a regular practice for you? Why or why not?
- What is keeping you from believing that God’s grace is yours?
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