Part 4 Written By: Tamika Mahomes 4. Seek Forgiveness and Repent "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9 (KJV) When we accept Christ, we begin our relationship with the Father from a place of forgiveness. God sent his only son to die on the cross and become the remission for our sins. 1 John 1:9 reminds us that to receive forgiveness, we must start from a place of sin confession. What is Sin?: Sin separates us from God. Like a brick wall that stops us from getting to the other side, sin creates a brick wall between us, and God. When we choose a life of obedience to sin, we replace God's will and authority with our own. According to Colossians 1:21, sin makes us an enemy of God. "This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions." (NLT) Our sin is meant to separate us from God, dooming us from eternity, but, the finished work of Jesus on the cross came as a way to save us from eternal damnation. "This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all." 1 Timothy 1:15 When Jesus died on the cross, he became a sacrifice for our sins. When Jesus died on the cross, he became a sacrifice for our sins. Jesus opened the door for forgiveness. Forgiveness from the Father begins with the separation from our sin. When we recieve this forgiveness, we are released from the cost of sin, eternal separation from the Father. "In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins" Colossians 1:14 (KJV) The forgiveness that we have access to through the blood of Christ is not deserved or expected rather, God's love, grace and mercy allows us to receive forgiveness despite our sinfilled nature. "as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us" Psalm 103:12 (NIV) When Jesus died on the cross, he became a sacrifice for our sins, carrying the punishment we deserve. When Christ died on the cross, he died for us without expecatation of anything in return. God sent his son Jesus to die, despite what we have done in the past or will do in the future. Because of his love for us, he was willing to send a sacrifice for us in the midst of our undeserving nature. The cost of our sin has been paid by the blood of the lamb. Our sin is not just forgiven, the Bible says it is wiped away and remembered no more. In Jesus we are free from the bondage of sin adn walk in the freedom of the Father. How Do We Seek Forgiveness? 1. Confess sins and acknowledge sin. We must understand that we sin, accept that we sinned, and confess those sins to God. 2. Ask God directly for forgiveness Understanding that we sin, we must ask God to forgive our confessed sins. 3. Believe You Are Forgiveness Believing that we are forgiven, is a necessary part of forgiveness. When God forgives us, he erases our sins and gives us a fresh start. Believe that God has forgiven you, and walk in that freedom from the Father. 4. Repent After we seek forgiveness, we must be changed by that forgiveness. When we repent, we turn away. And in turning away from our sin, we choose not to continue in it. While God will forgive us, it is up to us to make a change. We must change our relationship with the sin in our life, changing the direction away from our sin and closer to the Father. 5. Move Forward Once we seek, accept, and repent from forgiveness, we must move forward from our sins. We are to move in the freedom of the Father, walk in his truth, and seek to become more like him each day. While we seek the forgiveness of God and walk in the repentance we are called to, we must also remember to extend that same grace and forgiveness one to another. When the love of God lives in us, we allow that same spirit to guide, direct, and cover us in our relationships with others. Let us walk together in the forgiveness of the Father, and let us also show love, grace, and compassion to others. As we get closer to God, we live more like him, allowing others to see the love of Christ in us. "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." Ephesians 4:32 (NIV)
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