So hard to accept it

It’s easy to believe it but harder to accept it. The forgiveness we have received from God is to be accepted and acted upon. We can live in the confidence that we are not under condemnation but that we are forgiven. 

Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit” (Psalm 32:1-2). 

The status of being forgiven is such a blessing that it has the potential of impacting every part of our lives. The guilt and weight of sin is real and heavy. And the forgiveness that God gives is real as any sin that we’ve committed. But we must allow this reality to sink into us and to impact us. 

We can respond to forgiveness in three ways. First, we respond with thankfulness. Nowhere else will we find true forgiveness. When God forgives, he removes it from us as far as the east is from the west. 

The second response is to forgive others. This ought to be with the same level of forgiveness that has been applied to us. We are prompted to forgive as we have been forgiven. Only the forgiven can forgive at such a deep and genuine level. 

The third response is to live with freedom as one who has been completely forgiven by God. That freedom allows you to dream again. It allows you to risk and to take chances. This freedom also allows you to see your failures as a step toward the success that God has for you. 

David experienced God’s forgiveness and gave it to others when it was not customary to do so. He also pushed forward to accomplish what God destined for him. 

It’s not easy to believe or to accept it, but God’s forgiveness is for us. Accept it, give it away, and live it. 

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