Forgiven

My righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins.
Isaiah 53:11 (NLT)


I've been reading in the book of Isaiah lately, and the ancient prophet makes many references to the promised Messiah of Israel. Today we know he was talking about Jesus, the baby who was born to Mary and Joseph. On the night of His birth, an angel was sent to shepherds watching over their flocks at night and made this announcement: "I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people."

In my previous blog, I talked about Jesus bringing the Good News that "The Kingdom of God is near."  In essence, the angel was saying the same in announcing the birth of the Christ-child. "A Savior has been born to you…peace to those on whom his favor rests."  God had come near to bring salvation, peace, and joy, as the prophet Isaiah had proclaimed hundreds of years before.

In Isaiah 53, we read about Who was promised, what He would be like, and His purpose. In verse 11 it says, My righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins.  This is the cornerstone of God's Kingdom. His mercy and forgiveness counts us as righteous.

We are loved. We are forgiven. We are free.

Later in the Gospels, we can read a wonderful story that shows what this means for one woman. She responds to this free gift of salvation by attending a dinner-party held in Jesus' honor and washing His feet with perfume and her tears. The host of the party is disgusted by her actions because she is a "sinful woman", but Jesus is moved by her gratitude and love.

"I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love."

In contrast, the man sees himself as righteous with no need for forgiveness—or at least not as much as this woman. Other than inviting Jesus to dinner, he doesn't do anything to honor Him. Why? He doesn't understand how much Jesus has given him. He hasn't been made righteous through forgiveness, but rather is self-righteous, thinking he hasn't done much that needs forgiving, and he can easily make up for his shortcomings by having the Messiah over for dinner. (Surely that will cover it.)

But it doesn't work that way. Hundreds of years before, God had said, My righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for HE will bear all their sins. The "sinful" woman understood this, the "righteous" man did not. He didn't understand that he and the woman were the same: sinful but forgiven. That's the only scale of righteousness God has.

We all make mistakes. No one is perfect. We're all sinners. Perhaps you see yourself like the man who wasn't "too bad"; or maybe you see yourself as the man saw the woman. In his eyes, she was beyond forgiveness. Her sins were "too great". But in God's Kingdom, neither reality exists.

All of us like sheep have strayed away. We have left God's paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on HIM the sins of us all.

The sins of us all…I pray you believe that. You are forgiven. No matter what mistakes you have made, no matter what you need forgiveness for. You are. You are counted as righteous.

As the woman in the story who washed Jesus' feet with her tears, may your motive for loving God and showing Him that love be the same. Not from a heart of guilt and shame, nor from a heart of self-righteousness. But rather as one who owed a debt that couldn't be paid, so He paid it for you. Go in peace, dear one. You have been forgiven.

Scripture taken from Mark 1:15; Luke 2:10-11, 14; Luke 7:47 (NLT); Isaiah 53:6 (NLT)
Woman photo by Benjamin Earwicker, FreeImages.com

"The Kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news." Mark 1:15

Christmas is just around the corner. Are you ready? Did you shop till you dropped on Black Friday, or do you need to get started? Have you gotten a tree and untangled the lights, or do you still have those tasks before you?

I love Christmas. I love how December is different than any other month of the year. I love the decorations, the Christmas plays, the giving, and above all, the reason we celebrate. Christmas is a time we remember God sent His Son into the world to save us from our sins. It's a time of hope and joy.

It's easy to get caught up in the shopping, decorating, and activity of the Christmas season and completely forget about Jesus. But it's also possible to remember the story of Jesus being born and having a feeding trough as a crib, but completely forget He didn't stay in the manger. Jesus grew up, became a man, and spent three years traveling around Israel to teach the message God had sent Him to share. The verse above, from Mark 1:15, was His primary message. "The Kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news."  Do you know what it means? What is the Kingdom of God? What is the Good News?

The Kingdom of God has existed from the beginning of time. We are here because God created His Kingdom and created us to enjoy it. You can think of it like a country that is ruled by a king; but it's not limited by space, a certain time period, or for certain people. The Kingdom of God is a present reality for anyone who wants to engage with Him, and it lasts forever.

Some believe we are simply here on earth by chance, an accident of nature that serves no purpose. Others believe we are created beings and we're here for a reason, but those reasons may be vague or misunderstood. But the Kingdom of God is not complicated, it's clear and simple: God is the King and we are His children—His beloved children who are loved unconditionally and valued immensely.

The message of Christmas never changes no matter how old you are. Do you treat the holiday as if it's only for children and forget about all the ways God wants to bless YOU? His gifts to us are eternal—ongoing year after year, no matter the season. But Christmas is a good time to be reminded of the love, peace, joy, guidance, hope, healing, and truth He gives.

When Jesus said, "The Kingdom of God is near", He was obviously speaking to those who didn't see it that way. God didn't send His Son to preach something everyone already understood and believed. He came to change their thinking (this is the definition of the word repent).

"Repent and believe the good news," He said. So, what's the Good News? By default, good news is not bad. He didn't say, 'Repent or you're going to Hell; Repent or God will stop loving you. Repent or you're getting kicked out of the Kingdom.' That would be bad news. The good news was (and still is), "The Kingdom of God is near."

What would have made them believe it was far away? When Jesus appeared on the scene, it was a chaotic time of political change and unrest in Israel. The Roman Empire had taken over, benefitting some but oppressing others. Poverty was widespread. Disease was rampant. Demon-possession was plaguing individual lives and communities. People had feelings of hopelessness, dread, and insignificance. They were "poor in spirit". They had little hope for their present and the future.

But Jesus said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven."  He wanted them to go from seeing themselves as doomed and destitute, to believing they were valued, forgiven, and loved.

"Don't worry; Trust God," He said. "Seek His Kingdom and all your needs will be met. Love others. Pray for your enemies. Forgive. Don't be angry. Do not fear."

He even recruited a band of disciples to help Him spread the word. "Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." It was a message everyone needed to hear, and He only had three years to preach before He would be silenced by those who couldn't take any more of His absurd teaching that God loved everyone.

How did Jesus demonstrate this free love? He drove out demons, healed the sick, gave the blind sight and the lame new legs. He went everywhere, spreading the Good News to all. "Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come."  We often say Jesus came to die for our sins, and He did, but His death only proved His message: You are loved. God does not hold your sin against you. He loves you. He values you. You belong to Him.

In Mark 2:5, we see this love and forgiveness demonstrated when Jesus says to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven."  This man didn't make a decision that he wanted to be forgiven and come to Jesus to ask for that. He didn't pray the "sinner's prayer." He was just there, in need of God's touch. Others would have viewed him as sinful and unworthy because of his crippled condition, but he wasn't unworthy. He wasn't overlooked. And Jesus didn't just say so, He demonstrated it: "I tell you, get up, take your mat, and go home."  The One who had the power to heal the body also had the power to heal the soul.

Do you need to believe the Kingdom of God is near? Does it feel far away? Are you living in fear, hate, defeat, despair, or hopelessness? Do you feel unloved or less than perfectly loved?

If so, you need to change your thinking. Repent and believe the good news: The Kingdom of heaven is near. The Kingdom of God is for you. Dwell in His love and live in His grace. He is the King; You are His child; and you can trust Him.

Photo Credit 1: FreeImages.com/JuliaTikhonova

Photo Credit 2: FreeImages.com/CrissyPauley

Scripture taken from Mark 1:15; Matt. 5:2; Matt. 5-6 (various); Mark 1:17; Mark 1:38; Mark 2:5, 11

Finding Rest

This is what the Lord says: "Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls." Jeremiah 6:16

Rest. It's something we all long for. For our body, mind, and heart. In our circumstances and relationships. For the past, present, and future. God created rest, and He Himself rested. I'd say that makes it an important thing, wouldn't you? It's not just something we want, it's something we need. It's okay to rest. In fact, God commanded it! "Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy."  He said this to the Hebrew people, and the purpose of the whole day was to rest. No gathering food. No cooking. No going out. No work. Just rest.

But is one day of physical rest really enough? Is that all we need? If you have lived for any amount of time, I'm sure you would agree that you need more than a day off once a week. Our bodies demand physical rest. We need rest every day. We sleep. We take breaks at work and school. We relax daily by watching television, reading, or taking a nap. Most people have hobbies they find relaxing. Some find relaxation with exercise. My dad thrives on keeping busy on his farm. It's work, but for him it's also what he loves. I feel the same way about writing. It should exhaust me, but it doesn't. It's fun. I like it. I find it restful. That's why I do it so much!

In Jeremiah 6:16, God gives a formula for rest in another sense. "Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls." And in Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus speaks these words: "Come to me all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Christians often refer to Jesus as the Savior, and He is, but to some that's all He is. We often forget that Jesus was also a teacher. Before He died for the sins of mankind and rose from the grave, He spent much of His time teaching. Teaching His disciples. Teaching the crowds. Teaching the teachers. Teaching His friends. Remember Mary who sat at His feet and hung on His every word? Jesus said she had chosen what was even better than serving: To just listen. To be teachable. To recognize a need for guidance.

What did Jesus teach? To receive God's love. To love others. To trust in God, have faith, and believe in His goodness. To forgive and not judge. To share His truth with others, but even more importantly, to live it themselves.

We have an important day coming up in America. Election Day. A day we all vote about measures and who we want to represent us. Democracy is a great thing, and we are privileged to have the freedoms and rights we have. But we need to be careful about how much trust we place in our rights as American Citizens, in our leaders, and even in people in general. How much are we looking to others to meet our needs rather than looking to God? We all have problems, and we often want to blame someone: the government, corrupt leaders, and those who have mistreated us much more personally: a trusted friend, a family member, a neighbor, a Christian brother or sister. 

I don't know if you've realized this, but blaming others for the circumstances we find ourselves in doesn't bring rest. It brings anger. It brings grief. It brings despair. Peace and hope don't come from having our eyes on the problem-makers. It comes from having our eyes on the One who can give us rest. And His prescription is simple: 'Look, ask, and listen. Trust and believe.' His grace is bigger than anything, and it's always enough.

The words of God in Jeremiah 6:16 contain a great promise. A promise of rest for following simple principles of listening to God and following His ways. But the words that follow are sobering: "...But you said, 'We will not walk in it...we will not listen.'" God's promise then: Disaster.

It's important to not look at God's warning of disaster as a punishment, but rather as a natural result of not walking in God's ways. His ways are the right ways because they bring rest. He knows that because He made us and knows what we need. And when we deviate from what we really need, we suffer. Like when we don't get enough physical rest and we pay for it later with fatigue and burn out. Like when we don't eat healthy food and it results in health problems later. A healthy soul requires basic maintenance too, but Jesus says His yoke is easy. It's not complicated. It's not beyond us. It can be difficult to go against our human nature, but not nearly as difficult as the alternative.

If Jesus was campaigning for your vote, some of His slogans would be: Hope instead of despair. Trust instead of worry. Give instead of greed. Believe in Me instead of believing you know better. 

Are you listening? Are you at rest? These two things go together. There's no way around that. Believe in His love. Believe in His mercy. Believe in His promise: "Come to me...and you will find rest for your souls."

"Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love endures forever." Psalm 118:1


Top photo by Cindy Rae Riggs. © Copyrighted. All rights reserved.