Are You Forgiven?
READ: 2 Corinthians 5:14-21
Once there was a girl named Angi. Her parents were in the final stages of getting a divorce, and she was being put in the middle of it. Angi was so depressed that she thought that she could find temporary comfort in going out with her friends and becoming drunk. And for a short period of time, that seemed to work. But then Angi realized that the solution was not in the bottle. What could fill the void?
Sin! It is a word that some of us fear, some of us condemn, and some of us try to justify. But the truth of the matter is that we ALL are sinners. No matter what the excuse for the actions, we still have sinned. That is where Jesus came in. In Jesus, we have a love so absolute that not even the most knowledgeable person can identify with it, except through faith. God has been, and always will be, there for us.
Many people around us, and perhaps yourself at times, are still out there searching for the perfect "thing" to make us truly happy. From alcohol to relationships to sports and music, we all try to "lose" ourselves in something. But the only place to truly lose ourselves - or more importantly - lose our sin, is in Jesus. "God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them." God assures us that our sins - every last one of them - is forgiven. Our sins are paid for, and by grace through faith, we are redeemed. It's that easy. There's no trick or catch. Christ, who was sinless, became sin for us, so that we might become righteous like God.
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT: What are the sins that you have to repent for? How can you make Christ a bigger part of your life?
PRAYER SUGGESTIONS: Thank God for sending His Son to rectify our wrongs. Ask God to make it easier to come to Him when we are troubled. Pray that others will come to God for forgiveness, instead of looking elsewhere for temporary "relief."