I Am - Forgiven
Do you remember when you were a kid and would do or say something that you knew if your parents found out, you would either be punished for, have to apologize for, or both? Maybe it was a fight with a friend or sibling and mom or dad would make you go to that person and say the two hardest words in the English language, “I’m sorry.” Often that was the worst punishment you could receive, especially if you felt you were the one in the right all along. Forgiveness is a hard thing to ask for at any age but in one’s formative years it’s an especially difficult but valuable lesson to learn.
As we get older, and hopefully wiser, and are honest about our own weaknesses and failures, forgiveness then becomes harder to receive than it is to give. And yes, it’s again our enemy the devil that inserts himself into our thoughts to remind us of how unforgivable we really are and we often buy in to his lies and deceptions and think we really don’t deserve to be forgiven.
According to the scripture, forgiveness to a person without Christ is instantaneous and eternal when we believe and confess to Him, our lost-ness and need for a Savior. The forgiveness that person receives is often described as overwhelming and usually emotional when they realize it for the very first time Forgiveness to a child of God however, can be quite the hurdle to get over and the hurdle can be summed up in one word... guilt. If our enemy knows that he can play the guilt card and win consistently with us, he will never stop pulling it out and we will never again walk in victory simply because we think we aren’t capable or worthy of receiving God’s forgiveness. Truth is, none of us are worthy and most are incapable and that’s where the Holy Spirit of God steps in to remind us of His unfailing love and of forgiveness that is already there, even before we ask for it. That’s what loving parents do and what a good, good, Father does too.