Redemption: A Story of Forgiveness

I am sure you have experienced forgiveness at least once in your life. Perhaps you can recall a time where you erred and the only way out was to seek forgiveness. The greatest forgiveness we can experience comes from Jesus. The kind of forgiveness where you were absolutely sure you deserved the judgement that was coming as a result of your actions and then instead of punishment, you get complete absolution from your sins. Imagine a stain on a shirt, you try to clean it and the stain gets bigger and bigger, you resolve to take off the shirt and fix it, then someone hands you a crisp clean shirt and tells you, 'You can keep it.'  That is exactly how Jesus meets us, wrecked, stained, unpardonable and He forgives us and makes us new, in instances where we had a mile long rap sheet, He gives us a new and clean slate. Maybe that's why I love redemption stories. I love how Jesus takes people who were deemed unworthy, judged, hopeless, irredeemable and turns them around with His forgiveness and love. Consider the following passages of Scripture Luke 7:36-50:

And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat.
And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,
And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.
Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.
And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on.
There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty.
And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?
Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.
And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.
Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet.
My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.
Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.
And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.
And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also?
And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.

 In the passage above the woman stood already judged and people wondered if Jesus really knew her character. Similarly you may have already been judged by the society, your family, friends and those around you with a label, maybe 'addict', 'loser', 'dreamer', and other unsavory adjectives and you may have internalized them as truth but Jesus sees beyond the labels, beyond the wrong identity, beyond the sinful nature and He is calling you today to forgive and save you. 

Jesus sees beyond the labels, beyond the wrong identity, beyond the sinful nature and He is calling you today to forgive and save you. 

In the parable Jesus spoke about the people who owed and how the one who owed more when forgiven was more grateful. Your journey with Jesus will have you giving testimonies, encouraging and loving others that no situation is too far gone for Jesus' intervention. Lastly, indeed Jesus has the power and authority to forgive sin. Unlike our earthly experience where someone says they have forgiven you and begin treating you with mistrust, Jesus forgives you completely and trusts you with more.

Think about it, Jesus, the Son of God, considered each and every one of us when He came down on earth and died for our sins to reconcile us to the Father. We can access forgiveness of sins, new life and the grace to forgive others just as we have been forgiven. What should our response be? 

• Believe in Jesus and the Salvation He offers
• Thank God every day for His saving grace
• Hold onto the sacred relationship by getting to know Him more in Scripture, prayer and behavior
• Tell others our testimony of how Jesus has transformed our life
• Stand firm in the face of opposition
• Love others as Jesus has loved us
• Pray to God to align us with the purpose He made us for
• Put aside the old nature and sins we once committed without a second thought
• Make choices that honor God every day of our life

 

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