Forgiveness and Jesus’ blood.

Look, what I’m saying is this.

I’m not saying that asking God for forgiveness is wrong.

What I’m saying is our forgiveness doesn’t depend on our asking.

If it did forgiveness would be conditional.

We would have a part to play in our own salvation.

We would achieve salvation by ourselves.

But the fact is, we could not achieve salvation by ourselves so Jesus achieved it for us – all by Himself.

That’s right, folks – we didn’t help Him.

We have no part to play in our own salvation.

Jesus saved the whole world – single-handedly – on the cross.

That’s why we know we have been forgiven once for all.

It was a once for all sacrifice.

Sure we’re gonna feel bad when we screw up.

Yes we’re gonna want to get down on our knees and confess to God and ask for forgiveness as we promise never to do it again.

But God has already forgiven us.

And next time we screw up again He’s already forgiven us for that, too!

In fact, the very moment we screw up it’s forgotten. Tossed into the eternal fire. Consumed, dead and gone.

Our sin dissolves in Christ’s blood like a snowflake in a fire.

We may feel terrible.

We may feel unworthy of God’s love and forgiveness.

We may feel we need to get on our knees and confess until we receive God’s peace again.

But that’s us.

That doesn’t come from God.

God has forgiven us already, once for all, on the cross.

So when we pray we don’t have to say “Dear God, I messed up again. I know, I know, yep, that again. Please forgive me again!”

Instead we can pray:

Jesus, I screwed up again, but thanks to the cross I know that you have forgiven me once for all. I accept that forgiveness. I know I’m a new creation in Christ and that my right standing with God doesn’t depend on what I do anymore but on what you did for me.

How amazing is that?!

We are righteous not by our own self effort but because of Christ.

We are righteous as a free gift from our amazing, awesome, breath-takingly beautiful God – whose name is Love.

Amen!