Source (book): "Making All Things New", 52 Reflections to Challenge the Way You Live, Chapter 7, "The Joy Of Being Forgiven", Page 45.
By Robert M. Solomon, Bishop of the Methodist Church in Singapore from 2000 - 2012
By Robert M. Solomon, Bishop of the Methodist Church in Singapore from 2000 - 2012
![American psychiatrist Karl Menninger once remarked that if he could convince the patients in psychiatric hospitals that their sins were forgiven, 75 percent of them could walk out the next day! [1a]](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3BvXrv-o6FFDp9KTG8dae6wSoZqAmc1yG17JkDIiyf2_tRxyngiFTFyecJzgXaO4MwpXAOPJE7beug2gzPOZHcRs_XmOepIzyAqb4dUuMPcKmBg9xfIsMci896zFdDz0FKVy6_JR4cSQqXv07ihL283FV7J-vxADiEWCIDPzhUa3CXF-eegnhKkhFW3I/s1000/06_111_1.jpg)
PHOTO: American psychiatrist Karl Menninger once
remarked that if he could convince the patients in psychiatric hospitals
that their sins were forgiven, 75 percent of them could walk out the
next day! [1a] Sadly, the psychiatric hospitals are still filled with people whose hearts and souls are tormented by guilt.
People plagued with guilt are not only found in hospitals; they are found everywhere, even in church. At some churches, prior to the celebration of the Lord's Supper, the people confess their sins together, following which the pastor pronounces the words: "In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven", which the people repeat to the pastor. These precious, life-giving words echo the words of the One who alone can forgive our sins - when Jesus met the paralysed man who was tied by invisible ropes of guilt, He healed him and declared: "Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven" (Matthew 9:2).
But why is it that even after hearing Jesus' words multitudes of guilty people are still immobilised in their spiritual journeys, unable to move towards true life and its joy? To understand this, we need to further reflect on the underlying purpose of God's forgiveness.
God forgives us so that we can be reconciled with Him. Because of our sins, we were alienated from God, but our merciful and gracious God opened the door for us to be reconciled with Him. The reconciliation is achieved when divine forgiveness meets human repentance. When the risen Christ met His fearful disciples, He "opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures". Then He told them that "the Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations" (Luke 24:45-47).
Christ died on the cross to declare that all are forgiven. And yet, not all are reconciled with God. Why? Because while all have been forgiven, not all have repented. For true reconciliation between God and human beings to take place, divine forgiveness must, like a life-giving seed, fall into the soil of human repentance. Then the fruits of reconciliation will burst forth with joyous vigour.
For this to happen, we must deal with at least two obstacles. The first is pride. The problem is not that God has not forgiven us, for His love reaches out to the worst of sinners. The problem is that people have not repented. And this is often due to pride. To repent, one must acknowledge one's true condition. This calls for humility, which is made available to us by God's grace. Whether we truly repent or not depends on how we respond to God's grace and humility and faith.
It is clear that even in church there are people who find it difficult to humbly accept God's forgiveness. Instead, they are busy trying to show, through their good work, that they are not so bad after all. Pride blinds them from realising or accepting that "all our righteous acts are like filthy rags" (Isaiah 64:6). They live frenzied lives, performing a religion that is rooted in pride rather than humility. In reality they have failed to repent, and therefore have not experienced God's forgiveness and the reconciliation with Him that follows. As Anabaptist pastoral theologist David Augsburger has wisely noted, "Since nothing we intend is ever faultless, and nothing we attempt ever without error, and nothing we achieve without some measure of finitude (end) and fallibility (the tendency to make mistakes or be wrong) we call humanness, we are saved by forgiveness." [2]
The second obstacle is a self-centred, non-relational view of forgiveness. It is a common mistake to think that our sins are forgiven by God simply to make us look good again. We might be like the man in court who hears the judge declare that he is not guilty. He heaves a sigh of relief, lifts his head high and walks away feeling vindicated.
When God forgives us, it is not quite like this. It is more like the story of the prodigal son told by Jesus (Luke 15:11-32). The wayward son comes to his senses and decided to return to his father's house. He rehearses what he would say - "Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants." When he reaches his waiting father, he blurts out what he had carefully rehearsed on the road of repentance. But his father did not allow him to complete his speech, especially the part about becoming a hired man. Perhaps the son thought that his repentance would make him look a little better in his father's eyes - enough to hire him as one of the servants.
But the father demonstrated what God does each time someone turns to Him in repentance. God's forgiveness has so much to do with making us look good, but with bringing us to a deep and loving relationship with Him.
When we crawl up to God's throne with repentance, we will find Him waiting for us, having already forgiven us. When we appear bankrupt before the divine Judge in our torn rags, smelling of the stench of sin, covered in the grime (dirt) of inner corruption fully exposed, and drooling helplessly with sin's foolishness, we hear God declare that our sins are forgiven. Then the unimaginable happens. Instead of giving us a lecture or mocking us, the Judge rises up from His throne, comes to us, and embraces us. As He does so, we realise that in embracing us, He has been hurt . . . His blood washes us clean. We discover that forgiveness, as Mark Twain wrote, "is the fragrance the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it".
More than self-centred relief for being forgiven, we discover the joy of being reconciled, of finding the depths of a profound love that invites us to an eternal relationship. We break free from our self-imposed prison and find ourselves at a feast.
After years of searching for inner peace and divine forgiveness, the German Augustinian monk Martin Luther was still plagued by gnawing guilt and the realisation that he did not measure up to God's righteousness. It was when he reflected on Romans 1:17 when he realised that God had already forgiven us in Christ and made us righteous. Luther felt that he "was altogether born again and had entered paradise itself". [3] His soul was flooded with the joy of forgiveness.
Likewise, on May 24, 1738, John Wesley found this joy. He wrote: "I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ . . . and an assurance was given me that He had takes away my sins, even mine . . ." [4]
Luther and Wesley discovered the freedom of being forgiven and the joy of being reconciled with God. How about you?
People plagued with guilt are not only found in hospitals; they are found everywhere, even in church. At some churches, prior to the celebration of the Lord's Supper, the people confess their sins together, following which the pastor pronounces the words: "In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven", which the people repeat to the pastor. These precious, life-giving words echo the words of the One who alone can forgive our sins - when Jesus met the paralysed man who was tied by invisible ropes of guilt, He healed him and declared: "Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven" (Matthew 9:2).
But why is it that even after hearing Jesus' words multitudes of guilty people are still immobilised in their spiritual journeys, unable to move towards true life and its joy? To understand this, we need to further reflect on the underlying purpose of God's forgiveness.
God forgives us so that we can be reconciled with Him. Because of our sins, we were alienated from God, but our merciful and gracious God opened the door for us to be reconciled with Him. The reconciliation is achieved when divine forgiveness meets human repentance. When the risen Christ met His fearful disciples, He "opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures". Then He told them that "the Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations" (Luke 24:45-47).
Christ died on the cross to declare that all are forgiven. And yet, not all are reconciled with God. Why? Because while all have been forgiven, not all have repented. For true reconciliation between God and human beings to take place, divine forgiveness must, like a life-giving seed, fall into the soil of human repentance. Then the fruits of reconciliation will burst forth with joyous vigour.
For this to happen, we must deal with at least two obstacles. The first is pride. The problem is not that God has not forgiven us, for His love reaches out to the worst of sinners. The problem is that people have not repented. And this is often due to pride. To repent, one must acknowledge one's true condition. This calls for humility, which is made available to us by God's grace. Whether we truly repent or not depends on how we respond to God's grace and humility and faith.
It is clear that even in church there are people who find it difficult to humbly accept God's forgiveness. Instead, they are busy trying to show, through their good work, that they are not so bad after all. Pride blinds them from realising or accepting that "all our righteous acts are like filthy rags" (Isaiah 64:6). They live frenzied lives, performing a religion that is rooted in pride rather than humility. In reality they have failed to repent, and therefore have not experienced God's forgiveness and the reconciliation with Him that follows. As Anabaptist pastoral theologist David Augsburger has wisely noted, "Since nothing we intend is ever faultless, and nothing we attempt ever without error, and nothing we achieve without some measure of finitude (end) and fallibility (the tendency to make mistakes or be wrong) we call humanness, we are saved by forgiveness." [2]
The second obstacle is a self-centred, non-relational view of forgiveness. It is a common mistake to think that our sins are forgiven by God simply to make us look good again. We might be like the man in court who hears the judge declare that he is not guilty. He heaves a sigh of relief, lifts his head high and walks away feeling vindicated.
When God forgives us, it is not quite like this. It is more like the story of the prodigal son told by Jesus (Luke 15:11-32). The wayward son comes to his senses and decided to return to his father's house. He rehearses what he would say - "Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants." When he reaches his waiting father, he blurts out what he had carefully rehearsed on the road of repentance. But his father did not allow him to complete his speech, especially the part about becoming a hired man. Perhaps the son thought that his repentance would make him look a little better in his father's eyes - enough to hire him as one of the servants.
But the father demonstrated what God does each time someone turns to Him in repentance. God's forgiveness has so much to do with making us look good, but with bringing us to a deep and loving relationship with Him.
When we crawl up to God's throne with repentance, we will find Him waiting for us, having already forgiven us. When we appear bankrupt before the divine Judge in our torn rags, smelling of the stench of sin, covered in the grime (dirt) of inner corruption fully exposed, and drooling helplessly with sin's foolishness, we hear God declare that our sins are forgiven. Then the unimaginable happens. Instead of giving us a lecture or mocking us, the Judge rises up from His throne, comes to us, and embraces us. As He does so, we realise that in embracing us, He has been hurt . . . His blood washes us clean. We discover that forgiveness, as Mark Twain wrote, "is the fragrance the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it".
More than self-centred relief for being forgiven, we discover the joy of being reconciled, of finding the depths of a profound love that invites us to an eternal relationship. We break free from our self-imposed prison and find ourselves at a feast.
After years of searching for inner peace and divine forgiveness, the German Augustinian monk Martin Luther was still plagued by gnawing guilt and the realisation that he did not measure up to God's righteousness. It was when he reflected on Romans 1:17 when he realised that God had already forgiven us in Christ and made us righteous. Luther felt that he "was altogether born again and had entered paradise itself". [3] His soul was flooded with the joy of forgiveness.
Likewise, on May 24, 1738, John Wesley found this joy. He wrote: "I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ . . . and an assurance was given me that He had takes away my sins, even mine . . ." [4]
Luther and Wesley discovered the freedom of being forgiven and the joy of being reconciled with God. How about you?
Picture posted by ORBC Family, Oak Ridge Baptist Church on 21 April 2023
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3BvXrv-o6FFDp9KTG8dae6wSoZqAmc1yG17JkDIiyf2_tRxyngiFTFyecJzgXaO4MwpXAOPJE7beug2gzPOZHcRs_XmOepIzyAqb4dUuMPcKmBg9xfIsMci896zFdDz0FKVy6_JR4cSQqXv07ihL283FV7J-vxADiEWCIDPzhUa3CXF-eegnhKkhFW3I/s1000/06_111_1.jpg
https://www.orbcfamily.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/shutterstock_627402740.jpg
https://www.orbcfamily.org/blog/christian-living/the-power-of-forgiveness-and-reconciliation/
American psychiatrist Karl Menninger once remarked that if he could convince the patients in psychiatric hospitals that their sins were forgiven, 75 percent of them could walk out the next day! [1a] Sadly, the psychiatric hospitals are still filled with people whose hearts and souls are tormented by guilt.
People plagued with guilt are not only found in hospitals; they are found everywhere, even in church. At some churches, prior to the celebration of the Lord's Supper, the people confess their sins together, following which the pastor pronounces the words: "In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven", which the people repeat to the pastor. These precious, life-giving words echo the words of the One who alone can forgive our sins - when Jesus met the paralysed man who was tied by invisible ropes of guilt, He healed him and declared: "Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven" (Matthew 9:2).
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3BvXrv-o6FFDp9KTG8dae6wSoZqAmc1yG17JkDIiyf2_tRxyngiFTFyecJzgXaO4MwpXAOPJE7beug2gzPOZHcRs_XmOepIzyAqb4dUuMPcKmBg9xfIsMci896zFdDz0FKVy6_JR4cSQqXv07ihL283FV7J-vxADiEWCIDPzhUa3CXF-eegnhKkhFW3I/s1000/06_111_1.jpg
https://www.orbcfamily.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/shutterstock_627402740.jpg
https://www.orbcfamily.org/blog/christian-living/the-power-of-forgiveness-and-reconciliation/
American psychiatrist Karl Menninger once remarked that if he could convince the patients in psychiatric hospitals that their sins were forgiven, 75 percent of them could walk out the next day! [1a] Sadly, the psychiatric hospitals are still filled with people whose hearts and souls are tormented by guilt.
People plagued with guilt are not only found in hospitals; they are found everywhere, even in church. At some churches, prior to the celebration of the Lord's Supper, the people confess their sins together, following which the pastor pronounces the words: "In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven", which the people repeat to the pastor. These precious, life-giving words echo the words of the One who alone can forgive our sins - when Jesus met the paralysed man who was tied by invisible ropes of guilt, He healed him and declared: "Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven" (Matthew 9:2).
PHOTO: American psychiatrist Karl Menninger once remarked that if he could convince the patients in psychiatric hospitals that their sins were forgiven, 75 percent of them could walk out the next day! [1a] Sadly, the psychiatric hospitals are still filled with people whose hearts and souls are tormented by guilt.
Picture posted by Posterazzi.- Dr. Carl A. Menninger. Ca. 1953. He Was Psychiatrist And A Member Of The Family Of Psychiatrists That Founded The Menninger Clinic In Topeka History
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNWXC9Gha7vTItqLtBkNQIafHCEJxRazwxj4hSOz9pqcZwwIjgbPptDqkTLzHOLUYcS-qlonU7WJ_PvANeuO1WEvx2e3Ui2lsa1N5lK-_qMHxd_cYQfuDMG9qwGEERfUHTc5Ec0g3qTBx3vCzQ6Ow4hkWpBfMU7YDJ01M_ETb08_jubfhlJPjpO7sU7ZQ/s1280/apix1trna__96079.jpg
https://cdn11.bigcommerce.com/s-yzgoj/images/stencil/1280x1280/products/1966502/3807759/apix1trna__96079.1626425107.jpg?c=2
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But why is it that even after hearing Jesus' words multitudes of guilty people are still immobilised in their spiritual journeys, unable to move towards true life and its joy? To understand this, we need to further reflect on the underlying purpose of God's forgiveness.
God forgives us so that we can be reconciled with Him. Because of our sins, we were alienated from God, but our merciful and gracious God opened the door for us to be reconciled with Him. The reconciliation is achieved when divine forgiveness meets human repentance. When the risen Christ met His fearful disciples, He "opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures". Then He told them that "the Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations" (Luke 24:45-47).
PHOTO: The underlying purpose of God's forgiveness
God forgives us so that we can be reconciled with Him. Because of our sins, we were alienated from God, but our merciful and gracious God opened the door for us to be reconciled with Him. The reconciliation is achieved when divine forgiveness meets human repentance.
Picture posted by Jesus is King👑
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHXiTsGSMfyhhF9r5sYHjHgP6VBwJfEcbzu8ldESVGspevJkmiqQBoTUW0jtvldDgEjYSWtdU0pKkDV-jS9UexY4BcGB8CoMD71ChjCbDQg2X_RevlZTXwNUKLiYqj300cn-H-nb_xe-dGiv8S9e4kASzb1Mg7ajQT528iKSgfOS1jC6ykaRGK-przqd0/s1464/efcda2e1da1786e049bf294d6c8be882.jpg
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/ef/cd/a2/efcda2e1da1786e049bf294d6c8be882.jpg
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/6544361952748187/
Christ died on the cross to declare that all are forgiven. And yet, not all are reconciled with God. Why? Because while all have been forgiven, not all have repented. For true reconciliation between God and human beings to take place, divine forgiveness must, like a life-giving seed, fall into the soil of human repentance. Then the fruits of reconciliation will burst forth with joyous vigour.
For this to happen, we must deal with at least two obstacles. The first is pride. The problem is not that God has not forgiven us, for His love reaches out to the worst of sinners. The problem is that people have not repented. And this is often due to pride. To repent, one must acknowledge one's true condition. This calls for humility, which is made available to us by God's grace. Whether we truly repent or not depends on how we respond to God's grace and humility and faith.
PHOTO: Christ died on the cross to declare that all are forgiven. And yet, not all are reconciled with God. Why?
The first is pride. The problem is not that God has not forgiven us, for His love reaches out to the worst of sinners. The problem is that people have not repented. And this is often due to pride. To repent, one must acknowledge one's true condition. This calls for humility, which is made available to us by God's grace. Whether we truly repent or not depends on how we respond to God's grace and humility and faith.
Picture posted by Nasia 🇺🇸 @NasiaChristos1 on 01September 2015 at 10:32 am
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiom4HsNr9RIO-fObUYTtRLl7R5LOnoPQV6YfO-VfNUUUT2yLsRqRfU7o9CFyeBGNBOVE_6xUnF0v64XPqQU5sD2dp-WrtwLuPi4rnpJFmtCygwtCy1Jqnb2P4FvYVkVgw1iz0RvDFs-reHNTylbsmFbr0dGVzxNgpj3TXvlkKCPyLjAJdMxRV7Wy5gYj4/s1010/CNyMrKuUkAAIrB1.jpg
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https://twitter.com/NasiaChristos1/status/638539920970133504/photo/1
http://veryfatoldman.blogspot.sg/2017/11/reflection-jesus-our-creator-physician.html
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2018/10/reflection-epilogue-response-to-jesus.html
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2019/10/reflection-go-tell-it-on-mountain.html
It is clear that even in church there are people who find it difficult to humbly accept God's forgiveness. Instead, they are busy trying to show, through their good work, that they are not so bad after all. Pride blinds them from realising or accepting that "all our righteous acts are like filthy rags" (Isaiah 64:6). They live frenzied lives, performing a religion that is rooted in pride rather than humility. In reality they have failed to repent, and therefore have not experienced God's forgiveness and the reconciliation with Him that follows. As Anabaptist pastoral theologist David Augsburger has wisely noted, "Since nothing we intend is ever faultless, and nothing we attempt ever without error, and nothing we achieve without some measure of finitude (end) and fallibility (the tendency to make mistakes or be wrong) we call humanness, we are saved by forgiveness." [2]
The second obstacle is a self-centred, non-relational view of forgiveness. It is a common mistake to think that our sins are forgiven by God simply to make us look good again. We might be like the man in court who hears the judge declare that he is not guilty. He heaves a sigh of relief, lifts his head high and walks away feeling vindicated.
PHOTO: It is clear that even in church there are people who find it difficult to humbly accept God's forgiveness. Instead, they are busy trying to show, through their good work, that they are not so bad after all. Pride blinds them from realising or accepting that "all our righteous acts are like filthy rags" (Isaiah 64:6)). They live frenzied lives, performing a religion that is rooted in pride rather than humility. In reality they have failed to repent, and therefore have not experienced God's forgiveness and the reconciliation with Him that follows.
Picture posted by Bart Bregman, Olymp Trade wiki
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiItBWgeVzXI94xWInOrxR_e4P5RQWnNI-rYAxUhIusOyl8sJlmA2TjZ971QeCDNLeGDIC94u_F8Lbiu46kQn5keF7TcBOWefk_MW9PJyoCQbkPLMXNdIV5QeKO-P4IQmmw8TsFkk5RZHHyZF5JOMJS5XuxGfSkOEpoVRpjL_JZQHjQd0F9DZKxSvLlNY8/s1280/How-to-become-a-confident-trader_1.png
https://www.olymptradewiki.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/How-to-become-a-confident-trader.jpg
https://www.olymptradewiki.com/trading-confidence/
When God forgives us, it is not quite like this. It is more like the story of the prodigal son told by Jesus (Luke 15:11-32). The wayward son comes to his senses and decided to return to his father's house. He rehearses what he would say - "Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants." When he reaches his waiting father, he blurts out what he had carefully rehearsed on the road of repentance. But his father did not allow him to complete his speech, especially the part about becoming a hired man. Perhaps the son thought that his repentance would make him look a little better in his father's eyes - enough to hire him as one of the servants.
But the father demonstrated what God does each time someone turns to Him in repentance. God's forgiveness has so much to do with making us look good, but with bringing us to a deep and loving relationship with Him.
PHOTO: The second obstacle is a self-centred, non-relational view of forgiveness. It is a common mistake to think that our sins are forgiven by God simply to make us look good again.
God's forgiveness has so much to do with making us look good, but with bringing us to a deep and loving relationship with Him.
Picture posted by Ana Cruz Ureña on Friday, 24 November 2023 at 05:12 pm
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg_f9XNsjSj_V9hi8AW5Imd2Smzde__z7qBLaVyy-gwKx5yw-QficWrx17Qqr75VWpHz-19d5uKvzGACfYJESxZM0MXOylPBWaaJepLLIMumvYNab5UeM2Qcyqydrw6OVCzw2W7EmWwostosP5KGTbHhXhApjhTxpIR2JH-ErVMs0O8YlNKNgHCCSVZHE/s1176/404834198_10224940809204334_5555726024360335502_n.jpg
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https://www.facebook.com/1138965209/posts/10224940809084331/?mibextid=GVKSpU
When we crawl up to God's throne with repentance, we will find Him waiting for us, having already forgiven us. When we appear bankrupt before the divine Judge in our torn rags, smelling of the stench of sin, covered in the grime (dirt) of inner corruption fully exposed, and drooling helplessly with sin's foolishness, we hear God declare that our sins are forgiven. Then the unimaginable happens. Instead of giving us a lecture or mocking us, the Judge rises up from His throne, comes to us, and embraces us. As He does so, we realise that in embracing us, He has been hurt . . . His blood washes us clean. We discover that forgiveness, as Mark Twain wrote, "is the fragrance the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it".
PHOTO: When we crawl up to God's throne with repentance, we will find Him waiting for us, having already forgiven us. The unimaginable happens. Instead of giving us a lecture or mocking us, the Judge rises up from His throne, comes to us, and embraces us. As He does so, we realise that in embracing us, He has been hurt . . . His blood washes us clean. We discover that forgiveness, as Mark Twain wrote, "is the fragrance the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it".
Picture posted in Pinterest
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https://i.pinimg.com/originals/61/58/ac/6158ac344e0f71962bd48a8a8a85abf5.png
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/68746694823/
More than self-centred relief for being forgiven, we discover the joy of being reconciled, of finding the depths of a profound love that invites us to an eternal relationship. We break free from our self-imposed prison and find ourselves at a feast.
After years of searching for inner peace and divine forgiveness, the German Augustinian monk Martin Luther was still plagued by gnawing guilt and the realisation that he did not measure up to God's righteousness. It was when he reflected on Romans 1:17 when he realised that God had already forgiven us in Christ and made us righteous. Luther felt that he "was altogether born again and had entered paradise itself". [3] His soul was flooded with the joy of forgiveness.
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/61/58/ac/6158ac344e0f71962bd48a8a8a85abf5.png
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/68746694823/
More than self-centred relief for being forgiven, we discover the joy of being reconciled, of finding the depths of a profound love that invites us to an eternal relationship. We break free from our self-imposed prison and find ourselves at a feast.
After years of searching for inner peace and divine forgiveness, the German Augustinian monk Martin Luther was still plagued by gnawing guilt and the realisation that he did not measure up to God's righteousness. It was when he reflected on Romans 1:17 when he realised that God had already forgiven us in Christ and made us righteous. Luther felt that he "was altogether born again and had entered paradise itself". [3] His soul was flooded with the joy of forgiveness.
PHOTO: After years of searching for inner peace and divine forgiveness, the German Augustinian monk Martin Luther was still plagued by gnawing guilt and the realisation that he did not measure up to God's righteousness. It was when he reflected on Romans 1:17 when he realised that God had already forgiven us in Christ and made us righteous. Luther felt that he "was altogether born again and had entered paradise itself". [3] His soul was flooded with the joy of forgiveness.
Picture posted by Romany Fawzy
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Likewise, on May 24, 1738, John Wesley found this joy. He wrote: "I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ . . . and an assurance was given me that He had takes away my sins, even mine . . ." [4]
Luther and Wesley discovered the freedom of being forgiven and the joy of being reconciled with God. How about you?
PHOTO: Likewise, on May 24, 1738, John Wesley found this joy. He wrote: "I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ . . . and an assurance was given me that He had takes away my sins, even mine . . ." [4]
Picture posted by Light Giver
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PHOTO: "Dear Lord, help us to overcome our pride, repent, and humbly accept God's forgiveness. May our pride does not blind us from realising or accepting that 'all our righteous acts are like filthy rags'.
Help us to overcome being self-centred and refuse to being forgiven. May we break free from our self-imposed prison, and discover the joy of being reconciled, of finding the depths of a profound love that invites us to an eternal relationship.
May we be like Luther and Wesley, discover the freedom of being forgiven and the joy of being reconciled with God. May we have the feeling of being born again and had entered paradise itself.
Through Lord Jesus Christ we pray. Amen."
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Reflection - Relating With God - The Joy Of Being Forgiven
Source (book): "Making All Things New", 52 Reflections to Challenge the Way You Live, Chapter 7, "The Joy Of Being Forgiven", Page 45.
By Robert M. Solomon, Bishop of the Methodist Church in Singapore from 2000 - 2012
Source (book): "Making All Things New", 52 Reflections to Challenge the Way You Live, Chapter 7, "The Joy Of Being Forgiven", Page 45.
By Robert M. Solomon, Bishop of the Methodist Church in Singapore from 2000 - 2012
"Faithful to the end", A Preacher's Exposition of 2 Timothy, @ 2014 by Robert M. Solomon
Reflection - Faithful to the end (Links)
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2017/06/reflection-faithful-to-end-links.html
"Finding rest for the soul" Responding to Jesus' Invitation in Matthew 11:28-29, © 2016 by Robert M. Solomon
Reflection - Finding rest for the soul (Links)
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2018/10/reflection-finding-rest-for-soul-links.html
"God in Pursuit" Lessons from the Book of Jonah, © 2016 by Robert M. Solomon
Reflection - God in Pursuit (Links) - PART I-III, posted on Saturday, 10 August 2019
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2019/08/reflection-god-in-pursuit-links-part-i.html
"God in Pursuit" Lessons from the Book of Jonah, © 2016 by Robert M. Solomon
Reflection - God in Pursuit (Links) - PART IV, posted on Saturday, 10 August 2019
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2019/08/reflection-god-in-pursuit-links-part-iv.html
"Songs of Christmas", The Stories and Significance of 20 Well-Loved Carols, © 2018 by Robert M. Solomon
Reflection - Songs of Christmas (Links), posted on Friday, 24 April 2020
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2020/04/reflection-songs-of-christmas-links.html
Reflection - Faithful to the end (Links)
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2017/06/reflection-faithful-to-end-links.html
"Finding rest for the soul" Responding to Jesus' Invitation in Matthew 11:28-29, © 2016 by Robert M. Solomon
Reflection - Finding rest for the soul (Links)
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2018/10/reflection-finding-rest-for-soul-links.html
"God in Pursuit" Lessons from the Book of Jonah, © 2016 by Robert M. Solomon
Reflection - God in Pursuit (Links) - PART I-III, posted on Saturday, 10 August 2019
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2019/08/reflection-god-in-pursuit-links-part-i.html
"God in Pursuit" Lessons from the Book of Jonah, © 2016 by Robert M. Solomon
Reflection - God in Pursuit (Links) - PART IV, posted on Saturday, 10 August 2019
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2019/08/reflection-god-in-pursuit-links-part-iv.html
"Songs of Christmas", The Stories and Significance of 20 Well-Loved Carols, © 2018 by Robert M. Solomon
Reflection - Songs of Christmas (Links), posted on Friday, 24 April 2020
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2020/04/reflection-songs-of-christmas-links.html
"Growing Old Gracefully", Following Jesus to the End, © 2019 by Robert M. Solomon
Reflection - Growing Old Gracefully, Part I - III (Links), posted on Wednesday, 09 December 2020
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2020/12/reflection-growing-old-gracefully-part.html
Reflection - Growing Old Gracefully, Part IV - V (Links), posted on Thursday, 22 April 2021
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2020/12/reflection-growing-old-gracefully-part_9.html
"Teach Us to Number Our Days", © 2008 by David Roper
Reflection - Number Our Days, Chapter 1 - 40 (Links), posted on Tuesday, 16 November 2021
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2021/11/reflection-number-our-days-chapter-1-40.html
Reflection - Number Our Days, Chapter 41 - 64 (Links), posted on Wednesday, 16 March 2022
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2022/03/reflection-number-our-days-chapter-41.html
"He Walks with Me - Devotions for Your Caregiving Journey with God", © 2018 by Our Daily Bread Ministries, Shelly Beach
Reflection - He Walks with Me (Links), posted on Tuesday, 16 August 2022
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2022/08/reflection-he-walks-with-me-links.html
Reflection - He Walks with Me (Links), posted on Tuesday, 16 August 2022https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2022/08/reflection-he-walks-with-me-links.html
"Classic Gem: Timeless Devotions from Our Daily Bread Authors", Copyright © 2021 by Our Daily Bread Ministries
Reflection - Classic Gem, Chapter 1 - 45 (Links), posted on 03 April 2023
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2023/04/reflection-classic-gem-chapter-1-45.html
"Classic Gem: Timeless Devotions from Our Daily Bread Authors", Copyright © 2021 by Our Daily Bread Ministries
Reflection - Classic Gem, Chapter 46 - 90 (Links), posted on Tuesday, 24 October 2023
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2023/10/reflection-classic-gem-chapter-46-90.html
Reference
[1] From "Making All Things New", 52 Reflections to Challenge the Way You Live, Copyright @ 2022 by Robert M. Solomon, Chapter 7, "The Joy Of Being Forgiven", Page 45.
[1a] See William J. Carl III, The Lord's Prayer for Today (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2006), 62.
[2] Quoted in Jonathon Lazear, Mediations for Men Who Do Too Much (New York: Fireside Books, 1992), July 1.
[3] Patrick Collinson, The Reformation, A History (New York: Modern Library, 2003), 8.
[4] John Wesley, "I Felt My Heart Strangely Warmed." Christian Classic Ethreal Library, https://ccel.org/ccel/wesley/journal/journal.vi.ii.xvi.html.
[1a] See William J. Carl III, The Lord's Prayer for Today (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2006), 62.
[2] Quoted in Jonathon Lazear, Mediations for Men Who Do Too Much (New York: Fireside Books, 1992), July 1.
[3] Patrick Collinson, The Reformation, A History (New York: Modern Library, 2003), 8.
[4] John Wesley, "I Felt My Heart Strangely Warmed." Christian Classic Ethreal Library, https://ccel.org/ccel/wesley/journal/journal.vi.ii.xvi.html.
Links
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Luke 15:11-32 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+15%3A11-32&version=NIV
Luke 24:45-47 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+24%3A45-47&version=NIV
Matthew 9:2 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+9%3A2&version=NIV
Matthew 11:28-29 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+11%3A28-29&version=NIV
Romans 1:17 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+1%3A17&version=NIV
Luke 15:11-32 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+15%3A11-32&version=NIV
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Romans 1:17 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+1%3A17&version=NIV
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