Forgiveness - Is it possible?

Is forgiveness a mountain that is too hight to climb?

In whom we have redemption through his blood, the 

forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

The Bible - Ephesians 1:7

So what's the verdict?

Really there are a number of questions which we need to answer to answer the main question - Forgiveness - is it possible? I'll address them one by one: 

Why do I need to be forgiven?

Are guilty feelings just manufactured by how we are brought up? Are they just a legacy from more religious days? Are these just hang ups that we should be clear of now that we live in a more liberal society? 

These are good questions.  Let me start with what the Lord Jesus said. He believed that we all need forgiveness and that His Father, God, is the person that we need to go to for forgiveness. If you have ever said the Lord's prayer you will know this to be true. 

The Lord's Prayer - Matthew 6:9-13

9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

11 Give us this day our daily bread.

12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

The Lord Jesus added:

14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:

15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

So the Lord Jesus believed that:

1. we need forgiveness, 
2. it can be obtained by prayer to his Father and,
3. the evidence that we really have it will be seen in whether we are prepared to forgive others!

Who have I wronged when I do wrong? 

The Bible teaches that God is our Creator, our Judge and the setter of the rules.

God summarises and concludes in the letter to the Romans chapter three that 'there is none righteous, no, not one' (v10) and 'there is none that doeth good, no, not one' (v12). You might think that this is very tough but remember the God as Creator and the Almighty is the 'setter of the rules'. God is not saying that no one ever does any good or that no one ever gets anything right but He is saying that we are not characteristically right (we are morally wrong and sinful) and we are not consistently good in what we do.

Could God not just forget sin and ignore it; after all he is a God of love isn't he?

God is a God of love but that is only one aspect of His character. He has other qualities that sit comfortably with the fact that 'God is love".

God is just and fair. In Psalm 97:2 he describes His throne (his seat and style of administration -  'righteousness and justice are the foundation of his (God's) throne'. In Genesis 18:25 we discover that from the earliest civilisations of planet earth God was described as 'the judge of all the earth' and he always does what is right i.e. He is righteous. 

Men in the Bible realised that their sin was essentially against God. It affected and indeed wronged others but it was against God as it broke His Laws. In Psalm 51 King David confessed - 'against thee, thee only, have I sinned'.

God has appointed His Son, The Lord Jesus as the judge in the final court. There will be no appeal procedure in place, John 5:22 and Acts 17:31.  He has not only been appointed to  judge the world one day but presently He is the Saviour of the world (John 4:42).  His offer today is one of forgiveness (Matthew 9:6). This is only possible because he 'died for our sins' in full and final payment to God for all wrong and evil.


In life only the person who has been sinned against is in a position to offer forgiveness. So it is with God. We have all sinned and come short of the glory of God (Roman 3:23). It is God we have wronged and He chooses to offer forgiveness through His Son, Jesus Christ.

What if I don't have the means to pay; I just can't meet God's demands on my life?

This is where the grace of God comes in. God commends his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners Christ died for us, Romans 5:8. God doesn't ask us to pay, he offers forgiveness on the basis that His Son has already paid through the death of the cross. 

Your move!

God calls for a response from you. The words repent, confess, call, trust, believe, come,  and receive Christ all come to mind. You cannot acquire forgiveness on the back of a good or religious life but you can receive it by faith in Jesus Christ. 

I leave you with the words of Acts 13:38,39 - 38 Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: 39 And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.

To access podcasts and videos explaining the good news of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ visit www.seekthetruth.org.uk

This site will give you access to Bible Teaching Audio's and Video's as well.

It’s all over!

Photos courtesy of Unsplash 

And suddenly, it’s all over!

Once again, after all the adverts, lights, shopping, nativity plays and seasonal films, Christmas is once again behind us and we start talking about “the New Year”. 

It reminds me of my Christmases when I was a boy.  The excitement started building weeks before the big day and the anticipation grew daily until, finally, it was Christmas eve.  As I was packed off to bed, I felt sure I wouldn’t sleep a wink – but I always did.  Then Christmas morning arrived with all the excitement of new toys and, even better, new books.

What do you do with your time

All photos courtesy of Unsplash
It is nice to take time to relax, have a coffee and chat. It is important at times to sit down, catch up and do a bit of planning. We all do it from time to time but probably not often enough.

Relevant questions we should sit down and ask are: 

1. What have I been doing with my time? 
2. Could I have used it more effectively? 
3. What are my plans for the future? 
4. Am I achieving what I want to achieve?
5. If not what plans and actions do I need to take to change things effectively? 

Planning is so important in every area of life! 

As someone once said - if you don't know where you are going, you'll definitely arrive. Planning, organising, implementing and reviewing are all good organisational skills.

You might be very successful in work-life but I want to ask you how your personal life is? Sometimes we need to clean and tidy up certain parts of our lives. What about reviewing your life so far and planning for the future? Are you prepared to be as careful about the personal issues of your life and your soul as you are in work life? Some of you will be perfectionists when it comes to your business, your personal hygiene, your financial affairs but how is it with you soul and your spiritual state before God?

Be careful as you start this process. 

Remember that the Bible speaks the truth and warns of the following:

Jeremiah 17. 9 - 'the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it'.

Proverbs 16. 25 - 'there is a way that seems right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death'. 

These verses mean that you cannot trust your instincts, you must learn to trust, believe and obey what God says in His revelation of truth, i.e. the Bible.

The Bible often states the obvious because as humans we often choose to ignore the obvious:

Ecclesiastes 3. 1 & 2 - 'to everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die'.

Hebrews 9. 27 & 28 - 'and as it is appointed unto men (humans) once to die, but after this the judgement: so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many'. 

John 8.24 - (the Lord Jesus is speaking) 'I said therefore unto you, that you shall die in your sins: for if you believe not that I am he (the promised one/Son of God), you shall die in your sins'. 

My final quotation is simple yet direct advice from the Bible. 

It is based on the assumption that the hearer accepts that they are guilty of sin, in danger of God's judgment and aware of their inability to save themselves.

Acts 16. 31 - 'Believe on The Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved'. 

Plan for life and enjoy God's salvation now and the guarantee of a home in heaven on the other side of death

OR

Ignore the truth and face the eternal judgement of God in Hell and the Lake of Fire.

Please plan wisely.

To access podcasts and videos explaining the good news of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ visit www.seekthetruth.org.uk

This site will give you access to Bible Teaching Audio's and Video's as well.

All posts have the aim of pointing people to Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour or to aid Christian growth and development.

Home again Home again jiggity jig

Home again Home again jiggity jig! It's good to be away, especially on holiday, but there's nothing quite like getting home again!

Every now and again we all need a break from the routines of our daily life. We need some new scenery. The drudgery of repeatedly doing the same things week after week can wear us down. So it's time for a break. 

Health experts advise stopping what you are doing regularly and having a short break. Sitting in front of a computer screen for hours can be soul destroying!

Get up go for a walk, change your viewpoint, relax. Take a break!

All good advice, especially when you are weary and need a change, a rest or a complete break. I have thoroughly enjoyed my ten days in Tenerife. It was a privilege to get that type of a break. I know everyone can't do it so I appreciate God's grace in allowing me to - along with my family. 

But, I am not writing this piece to focus on my break but on the principle of rest. We all need rest but rest comes in different guises to meet differing needs. 

For instance our bodies need regular rest. Whether it's a brief break during the day, or a good nights sleep we need regular rest for our physical frames. We are made of dust and at the best weak and dependant. Psalm 103:14 says "For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust".

Maybe this has dawned on you. If not it will one day. It reminds me of the fragility and brevity of life.

We (our souls) long for rest. Only God can provide that rest through His Son, Jesus Christ. The words of the Lord Jesus express the answer He has to the human need for rest - Matthew 11:28 "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest".

This rest is only possible because Christ died for our sins, he was buried and rose again on the third day, 1 Corinthians 15:3.  

For more information go to www.seekthetruth.org.uk