RESTORED Week 10 - Receiving His Forgiveness

Watch the Video for Week 10: “Receiving His Forgiveness.”

Scriptures Mentioned Today

• Psalm 51:10-17
• 1 John 4:18-19
• Romans 8:1-4
• 1 John 3:20-21

Your Notes from the Teaching

The chastisement that brought us peace was laid upon Him…” (Isaiah 53:5) One of the most powerful truths about the work Jesus accomplished on the cross is that He enabled those who are in Christ to live without fear of punishment. We hide from God, just like Adam and Eve did, because deep inside we believe we should pay a price for what we have done. We have a sense of justice, and we know that God is just, so surely that means we must be punished for our sins, right?

The beauty of our Father is found in this truth: God's favorite way of dealing with our sin is to

show mercy. He eagerly awaits our opening the door for him to show it, and the really good news is we do not have to strive to open that door! Remember what David discovered after he blew it big time with Bathsheba? You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering.sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise. (Psalm 51:16-17) Our brokenness, or deep remorse and sorrow, over what we have done wrong, offered up to God, is all that is required. Why? Where is the “justice” in that? Our brokenness is the clearest demonstration that we now have God’s heart beating within us, which is why we are broken over our sin. Like David, the man after God’s own heart, our broken heart over our sin is a much clearer proof that we are now righteous ones, than our sinful behaviors and thoughts “prove” that we are still “sinners.” Perhaps the devil is, even now, trying to beat you down with condemnation and shame for what you have done? Remind Him that Jesus already bore the punishment for your crimes, and present to God the offering of your broken heart. Instant freedom is right on the other side of that prayer!

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. (1 John 4:18)

My firstborn son was barely two years old as I watched him violate a cardinal rule in our house — no candy before dinner. I observed him from the living room as he looked around to make sure no one was watching, snatched the chocolate bar from the cabinet, and tiptoed into his room. My rookie daddy’s heart was saddened that my only child, with whom I had just spent the whole afternoon tickling, playing, and laughing together would do such a thing. (And for the first time I felt God’s grief in Eden as He watched Adam and Eve eat from that tree...).

I quietly walked into his room, where I could see just the top of his hair sticking out above the bed behind which he was hiding. The rustling sound of the wrapper brought a smile to my face as I wondered how he would respond to my presence. Just then it occurred to me: I am the last person in the world he wants to see right now. To him, I am the judge come to bring wrath upon him. The thought was heartbreaking, and I felt more sorrow for him than anger as I approached him. He was so caught up in that chocolate bar he did not even see me until I was nearly on top of him. His eyes widened, and his chocolate-covered face took on the look of sheer panic. He then screamed, jumped, and crashed into the wall in one motion. Then he fell into my arms, sobbing.

His tears proved he needed no discipline, just restoration and a brief word of acknowledgment that I could see he knew what he did was wrong. His tear soaked eyes revealed an understanding of the mercy he had just received, and my reward for showing mercy was the tightest hug he had to give. Now we could get back to enjoying one other again.

Perhaps your worst sin is much more harmful than eating candy before dinner? Can you believe that fellowship with the Father in heaven is just that easy to restore? It is! David knew it. Billions have experienced it. Only our fear of punishment keeps us from enjoying it. Will you allow Hi perfect love to overcome your imperfect way of living? Will you, by faith, see that there is no punishment waiting the saints of God — only the restoration that the Father is eager to have with us? Daddy is waiting for that hug from His contrite child. Give Him what he deserves!

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. (Romans 8:2 ) Just how does a 500 ton airplane take off and remain airborne? I wonder every time I fly. Since the ancient time of Archimedes, scientists have searched for the physical laws that would make flight possible, but every attempt at flying resulted in failure and even death. That is, until the Law of Lift was discovered. With the help of some thrust and research into drag and weight factors, the Wright brothers finally became the first to succeed at overcoming the Law of Gravity, and the age of flight was finally upon us. In similar fashion, every religion from the beginning of civilization has attempted to overcome the “Law of Sin and Death,” which simply means the laws of justice. We have tried, and failed, to create systems of morality based on discipline and good behavior in an attempot to measure up to God’s ways of life, and have ended up crashing to the ground in failed attempts to “fly.” That is, until Jesus came along. Now, through Jesus and His good news, we have learned that just as the Law of Lift can overcome the Law of Gravity, the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ overrides the Law of Sin and Death. In other words, Simply living a Christ-centered, Spirit-led life is enough to keep us out from under the judgment of the Law. Just what is that judgment? Imagine living with a prosecuting attorney following you all the days of your life, making sure your good deeds and thoughts outweigh you bad deeds and thoughts. The heaviness, paranoia and judgment seems as inevitable as returning to the ground every single time you jump. Today, live above the Law of Sin and Death by keeping Jesus at the center of all your thought. Cease from striving to live by a Law that no on but Jesus has ever been successful at, and live by His life within you. Then, soar like and eagle, as Isaiah prophesied: Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary. Isaiah 40:31