Forgiveness

Summer, is finally here!!!! I was getting tired of all that cold weather! As you can see we have updated our page a little bit more, thanks to Calotype Photography!!! You can find them at http://calotype-photography.blogspot.com/ we greatly appreciate all of the work that they have put into the design already and thank them for the work that they continue to do with us to do what God has given us to do with excellence!!!


I have been thinking alot lately about forgiveness, as this is a very important part of the message that we bring to you, because no doubt there are young people that come to this page and you have already made mistakes. As I began to look through the Bible to see what the Word of God had to say about forgiveness, I noticed that there were a couple of things that must come before one is to be forgiven of sin and wrongdoing.

2 Chronicles 7:14 says this, If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. (emphasis added)
James 4:6 says, But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. (emphasis added)
Psalms 51:17 says this, The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. (emphasis added)
What the scripture is saying here is that before there can be forgiveness there must be a true heartfelt sorrow for the sin that has been committed, not a sorrow or guilt because you were caught and aren't looking forward to the consequences. No, what God is looking for is heart that realizes that I have sinned against God, and the only way that I can obtain forgiveness is to come before God with a broken and contrite heart!! The definition for contrite is this, filled with a sense of guilt and the desire for atonement; When a person is truly sorry for what they have done, they will do what is necessary to atone for the sin that they have committed.

I remember very clearly when I told my Parents and Pastor what I had done, I remember feeling an incredible weight on my shoulders and there was nothing that I could do to get rid of the guilt that plagued my mind. Sleepless night after sleepless night, I carried this weight. Then one day I decided that I had lived with my sin long enough, I approached my Mother and told her, she was so disappointed, I cried myself to sleep that night, but that night it was because of the look that was in her eyes when I told her what I had done. The next day my Mom, Dad, and I went to the Church and told my Pastor. I was truly sorry for what I had done, and not very long into the meeting I began to weep, I distinctly remember my Pastor telling me that was exactly what he wanted to see, brokenness, that wise Man of God knew that in order for there to be forgiveness there had to be a true heartfelt remorse.

The next step in forgiveness is repentance, in the above scriptures we see that after humbling yourself, you must turn from your sin. Turning from your sin is called repentance, what that literally means is to do a 180, to intentionally turn yourself away from sin!!
Acts 3:19 says this, Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
If you have humbled yourself, turned from your sins(repented), and asked God for forgiveness, you are forgiven!!
Psalms 103:12 says this, As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
Once God has forgiven you he casts your sin as far as the east is from the west, to be remembered no more!! So if you have been forgiven of God, why not forgive your self??

God Bless,
Nathan