The Past Is Forgiven
8 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, Romans 8:1, NIV
In the book "Search for Significance" one of the lies that the devil likes to tell believers is that you can never change. Therefore, he likes to suggest to us that it isn't worth the effort to continue to try to change because we will never become any better, stronger or overcome the obstacles of the past. He does this often by reminding the believer of past mistakes. With most of us, he has plenty of material to work with. Times when we should have kept our mouth shut and did not. Times when we got angry and lost our credibility and witness. Times which we would rather forget.
These are instances which we should bring to God to ask for forgiveness over. In 1 John it says that if we say that we have not sinned then we call God a liar. It is God who says that we have sinned. Rather, 1 John 1:9 says that if we confess our sins and ask God to forgive us, then based on his faithfulness he cleanses us and forgives us from all unrighteousness. The key word there is all. I don't have to worry about whether or not I have forgotten some sin like Martin Luther did as he agonized in prayer for hours worried that he had forgotten some sin that he didn't repent of. I confess what I remember and by faith believe that God has forgiven me and believe Romans 8:1.
I like how this is pictured in the Old Testament. In the Old Testament, the outer part of the temple is made up of bronze instruments. This is where the sacrifice took place. Bronze was symbolic of judgment. Everything there was a reminder of the judgment of God. The person laid their hands on the sacrifice and it was slain for that person. But, what the blood of bulls and goats could never do, Jesus did for us. He took that judgment away forever. So we never walk into a room of bronze again.
The next room the person walked into was a room of gold. There was no bronze present. The gold signified the presence of God. Everything, the table, the walls, the lamps, the instruments, the bowls, the snuffers, the candles, the plates, all of it was gold. The light reflected the gold. It must have been beautiful. God spared no expense in this extravagent beauty to enjoy His people. I like Romans 8:1 because it reminds me of this. That while I am still in this earthly body and make mistakes that in God's eyes I am totally forgiven, washed clean by his blood and purified in his sight. There is no more mention of judgment. The one who accuses me is mentioning things that have been forgiven. Not because of what I did, but because of what the Lamb of God did.
In the book "Search for Significance" one of the lies that the devil likes to tell believers is that you can never change. Therefore, he likes to suggest to us that it isn't worth the effort to continue to try to change because we will never become any better, stronger or overcome the obstacles of the past. He does this often by reminding the believer of past mistakes. With most of us, he has plenty of material to work with. Times when we should have kept our mouth shut and did not. Times when we got angry and lost our credibility and witness. Times which we would rather forget.
These are instances which we should bring to God to ask for forgiveness over. In 1 John it says that if we say that we have not sinned then we call God a liar. It is God who says that we have sinned. Rather, 1 John 1:9 says that if we confess our sins and ask God to forgive us, then based on his faithfulness he cleanses us and forgives us from all unrighteousness. The key word there is all. I don't have to worry about whether or not I have forgotten some sin like Martin Luther did as he agonized in prayer for hours worried that he had forgotten some sin that he didn't repent of. I confess what I remember and by faith believe that God has forgiven me and believe Romans 8:1.
I like how this is pictured in the Old Testament. In the Old Testament, the outer part of the temple is made up of bronze instruments. This is where the sacrifice took place. Bronze was symbolic of judgment. Everything there was a reminder of the judgment of God. The person laid their hands on the sacrifice and it was slain for that person. But, what the blood of bulls and goats could never do, Jesus did for us. He took that judgment away forever. So we never walk into a room of bronze again.
The next room the person walked into was a room of gold. There was no bronze present. The gold signified the presence of God. Everything, the table, the walls, the lamps, the instruments, the bowls, the snuffers, the candles, the plates, all of it was gold. The light reflected the gold. It must have been beautiful. God spared no expense in this extravagent beauty to enjoy His people. I like Romans 8:1 because it reminds me of this. That while I am still in this earthly body and make mistakes that in God's eyes I am totally forgiven, washed clean by his blood and purified in his sight. There is no more mention of judgment. The one who accuses me is mentioning things that have been forgiven. Not because of what I did, but because of what the Lamb of God did.
