Posted on 01/13/2016 9:12:11 AM PST by metmom
In Christ we have "the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of [God's] grace, which He lavished upon us" (Eph. 1:7-8).
In Christ we have infinite forgiveness for every sin-past, present, and future.
On Israel's Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) the high priest selected two goats. One was sacrificed; the other set free. Before releasing the second goat, the high priest symbolically placed the sins of the people on it by laying his hands on its head. This "scapegoat" was then taken a great distance from camp and released-never to return again (Lev. 16:7-10).
The Greek word translated "forgiveness" in Ephesians 1:7 means "to send away." It speaks of cancelling a debt or granting a pardon. Like the scapegoat, Christ carried away our sins on the cross.
In Christ, God cancelled your debt and pardoned your transgressions, and He did so "according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon [you]" (v. 8). That means you have infinite forgiveness because God's grace is infinite. You cannot sin beyond God's grace because where sin abounds, grace super-abounds (Rom. 5:20).
God delights in lavishing His grace upon you. Such grace is overflowing and cannot be contained. You are forgiven for every sin-past, present, and future. You will never be condemned by God or separated from Him (Rom. 8:1-2, 31-39). Even when you fail, God doesn't hold your sins against you. Christ bore them all so that you might know the joy and peace that freedom from sin and guilt brings.
Let the reality of God's grace fill your heart with joy and assurance. Let the responsibility of glorifying Him fill you with awe and reverence. Let this day be a sacrifice of praise and service to Him.
Suggestions for Prayer
Thank God for His infinite grace and forgiveness. Look for opportunities to extend forgiveness to others.
For Further Study
Read Matthew 18:21-35.
What characteristic marked the wicked slave? What was the king's response to the wicked slave's actions? What point was Jesus making? How does it apply to you?
Studying God’s Word ping
What a wonderful post! Thank you for the post. You are a Saint!
And you are too.
All of us in Christ are.
By grace through faith!
I remember reading that passage from Ephesians and choking up when I got to the part about God LAVISHING his grace upon us. Such an expressive word lavish. It tells me He is not stingy, cheap or holding back but ready and willing to smother us - saturate us - with His loving kindness, mercy and grace. I just don’t understand those who misrepresent God as stern and judgmental waiting for us to mess up so He can punish and get even with us. They have certainly not learned that from God’s own sacred word.
Thanks for this reminder of how great a Savior we serve.
All of us in Christ are.
Yes, all of us in Christ are ALREADY saints. We don't have to take a horrible chance, and hope we might possibly become saints when we die. Nope, no chance taking required. My feeling is, if someone waits till they die, to see if they become a saint, I would say they might be in for the rudest awakening of their lives.
This does not, however, as some seem to think, that we have an excuse to sin to our heart's content, because we are saved. We don't, NOT NOW, NOT EVER.
Yes, I thought the same about the word *lavish*.
The lie of the enemy is that He is stingy in dispensing grace.
The older I get, the more comfortable I am with ABBA father ... daddy
Yeah ... it's me again, dad ... look ... I screwed up again and ...
The miricle is not that I'm saved, but that He keeps me saved ...
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