By Pastor Greg
Once upon a time there was a bunch of tiny frogs who arranged a running competition. The goal was to hop the 1,000 steps to the top of a very high tower. A big crowd gathered to see the race, but no one in the crowd really believed that the tiny frogs would reach the top of the tower. "Oh, it’s WAY too difficult!" some exclaimed. "They will NEVER make it to the top. The tower is just too high!" Eventually the tiny frogs began collapsing. One by one they gave up, believing that indeed the tower was far too high and that they were much too small. The crowd continued to yell, "It is too difficult!!! No one will make it!" Eventually all the frogs had quit the race, all but one, who continued higher and higher. He just wouldn't give up! He alone reached the top of the tower. He alone succeeded where everyone else expected him to fail. The other frogs were curious. How did he succeed? Where did he find the fortitude to keep jumping instead of giving up? It turns out that this little frog was deaf.
Have you ever had days like that; days that you wish you were deaf to the critics, the cynics, and the pessimists? I guess that’s one thing we need to learn as we grow and mature as Christians. We need to start listening to God who is trying to build us up instead of those who are trying to tear us down. But some days are more difficult than others. Some days even Satan begins filling our minds with doubts. And if we are not careful, we will find ourselves believing his lies. Do you ever have days like this? Do you struggle believing that God does indeed love you, that your sins are really forgiven? I think all of us struggle with this from time to time. And perhaps like me, you wonder how to overcome those moments when Satan (the Adversary) whispers failure in your ear. Well, I have found that the best way to overcome this is to focus on the promises of God.
There are several promises Jesus makes to believers that can be a source of strength, if only we will focus on those promises; if we will only turn a deaf ear to what Satan might say, and instead stand firm on His promises.
Take the issue of forgiveness. If Jesus is really who He says He is, then He has the right, the authority, and the power to forgive sin; something that shocked a bunch or religious guys one day (Read Luke 5:17-26).
When Jesus sees this man He declares that his sins are forgiven; not for something this man had done to Jesus. I mean, Jesus didn’t say “I forgive you for taking my parking spot earlier today at the grocery store”. This was a general statement that said “Anything you might have done that was an offence toward God is forgiven you”. But since this was Jesus forgiving this man’s sin toward God, what right did He have to speak this way? That’s like you telling me that I’m forgiven for tearing apart my sister’s Barbie dolls (which I did not do, by the way). I mean, who are you to forgive my offence against someone else, unless, of course, you represent that other person. So what Jesus basically did was tell this man “I forgive any offence you might have made against the Father”, indicating that He (Jesus) had the Father’s authority to grant that forgiveness.
The smart people in the room understood this exact point. They said “Who but God can forgive a sin committed against God”. Exactly. These guys are spot on. But what they missed was that God was standing in the room with them; God the Son. So when Jesus said that this man’s sins were forgiven, He declared that He had the authority to make that promise; that anything this man had done to offend God was no longer held against him because Christ granted forgiveness.
If Jesus is who He claims to be (the human manifestation of God), then He has the power to forgive and has the authority to declare that our sin will no longer be held against us. Now you know this. You’ve got Jesus right where He needs to be in your life. He’s right there in your heart. But there are some days you sure don’t feel forgiven, you know what I mean? There’s just this nagging guilt that eats away at your heart night and day. Yet you have already confessed that sin. You’ve even turned away from committing that sin (that’s called repentance). But every now and then the memory of that sin comes back to haunt you, and the guilty feelings return.
This is where faith steps in. This is where we hold fast to the promises of Jesus. He has promised us that if we believe He is the Messiah and if we choose to make Him our Savior, then our sins will be forgiven and our sin will no longer be held against us. Unfortunately Satan likes to hold that sin against us, and sometime so do self-righteous Christians; believers who want grace for themselves but are unwilling to grant grace to others. That’s why I want to encourage you to not stand on the condemnation of Satan or the criticism of the critics, but to stand firm on the promise of God. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:9). This is Christ’s promise to all of us. He has promised that because of the cross, we have been saved from Sin’s penalty. It is through faith that we are being saved from Sin’s power. And one day we will be saved from Sin’s presence. “My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous” (1 John 2:1).
May you find the assurance you need today to believe that indeed your sin has been forgiven. Stop listening to those who want to hold your sin against you. You are forgiven. I leave you with the words of King David found in Psalm 32.
Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! Yes, what joy for those whose record the LORD has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty! When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat.
Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the LORD.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.
Therefore, let all the godly pray to you while there is still time, that they may not drown in the floodwaters of judgment. For you are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory.
The LORD says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you. Do not be like a senseless horse or mule that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under control.” Many sorrows come to the wicked, but unfailing love surrounds those who trust the LORD. So rejoice in the LORD and be glad, all you who obey him! Shout for joy, all you whose hearts are pure!
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