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The Way
by Kevin Pauley
Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones You have crushed rejoice. Turn Your face away from my sins and blot out all my guilt. - Psalm 51:7-9 HCSB
Jesus gave us the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector to demonstrate what true repentance and humility can achieve. The tax collector showed great sorrow and contrition for his sin and demonstrated it by his willingness to stand “far off” from the altar, indicating his understanding of how sin had effected his position with God.[1]
Zacchaeus gives us a great example of what is required of us. He received the Lord joyfully, admitted his sins publicly, repented of them and offered to make restitution, and went on to give up all materialism (his chosen besetting sin). It was at that point that Jesus said, “Today salvation has come to this house.”[2]
When the Master taught us how to pray, He told us to pray for forgiveness. He described sin as a debt that must be paid.[3] We are justified (cleared of all guilt) and our sin debt is paid by faith in Jesus; in him we find peace.[4]
God has lavished His grace on us, choosing us, and forgiving us of all our sins through the shed blood of Christ.[5] Like the Good Shepherd rescuing sheep from the dark crags outside the fold, the Lord rescues Believers from the dominion of darkness.[6] They are brought into Jesus’ eternal kingdom and forgiven of all their sins.[7]
Those of us who have sought God’s forgiveness of our sins and become Believers, Disciples of Christ, the Ransomed, are out of the Devil’s dominion. We have been rescued from the kingdom of darkness and can now claim the title “Children of Light.”[8] That serpent can no longer count us among his many casualties. However, Satan unfortunately does not give up on us. Once he realizes he cannot have our souls he switches his sights to our effectiveness. If he can keep us so bound by our despair over our sins that we are brought to a spiritual standstill in the great spiritual battle[9] then he is content with that.
We must not fall for that ploy. Jesus Christ is our Advocate with the Father. When the Devil (sometimes called the Accuser) reports our sin to the Father or seeks to slander us falsely as he did our brother Job, Jesus steps in and argues on behalf of those who are His disciples.[10]
We say that the Lord is kind and forgiving[11], but our understanding of such forgiveness is bounded by our own human limitations. The Scriptures say that Hashem’s mercy cannot even be measured. It is as high as the heavens. When He forgives our sins, they are infinitely far from us.[12]
God not only puts our sins out of sight; He also put them out of reach.[13] He puts them out of mind.[14] In fact, He puts them completely out of existence.[15]
Kevin Pauley is a pastor and writer. He lives in Illinois with his wife, Lynn, their five children and two dogs. His internet address is Berea.
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