Forgiven

Since God is my life, i think how i met Him should be my first post.

 I know I have been forgiven!  Like many a thirteen-year old boy, I sat half listening to the preacher in church.  While I was sitting there, God came and let me know just how bad a sinner I truly was.  He also let me know that I didn’t deserve forgiveness, but He wanted to give it to me anyway.  In fact, He loved me so much He sent his son to Earth for me, if I didn’t repent, He would have to send me to Hell, no matter how much it broke his heart.

When I was younger I tried to obey my parents, do what was moral, and go to church.  I grew up in a religious home where almost everybody knew god, except me.  In fact, my grandpa, uncle, and brother were all preachers.  At the age of thirteen, I came to the realization that I didn’t deserve to be God’s child.  He had given me live and I had wasted it recklessly.

No longer listening to the preacher, I sat there thinking about what god had shown me.  Meanwhile He sent my mom to me.  She sat down beside me and asked if I was lost; I replied by shaking my head, no.  I was too busy thinking about what god had told me to act on His calling.  Thankfully, God sent her to talk to me one more time.  This time, she asked me if I needed to pray.  I responded by nodding my head, turning around, and kneeling at my seat.  I no longer could ignore God’s calling.  The only words I can remember praying were, “I am so sorry,” and “please forgive me,” but Jesus was pleading for me to his father.  As the bible says, “[T]he Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings to deep for words.” (Romans 8:26 NASB95)  

When I finished praying, I knew God had forgiven me for all my sins, both the ones I knew about and the ones I didn’t know about.  He not only forgave me but He also forgot about all of my sins.  Like the Bible says, “I will forgive their wickedness and will never again remember their sins.” (Jeremiah 31:34, NLT)  God is so loving that when the devil brings past, forgiven sins back to my mind, God can say that He doesn’t know what I’m talking about, or He doesn’t remember anything like that.

Now, since I am saved, I no longer have to fear that God will have to send me to Hell, because I am one of his sons, but it also doesn’t mean that I’m going to have an easy time either.  1 John tells us, “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!  Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.” (1 John3:1, NKJV)  In fact, the world not only didn’t “know” him, but also hated him and sent him to the cross, and while on the cross He said, Father, forgive them; they don’ know what they’re doing.” (Luke 23:34, The Message)

Although I am not capable of being like Jesus, I should try to learn from his example, and strive to be more like him.  I have been forgiven! So I should be able, with God’s help, to forgive that much more.  THANK YOU GOD!