Forgiveness: The Greatest of All Miracles - Evangelical Caucus/Devotional

Gracetoyou.org ^ | 2008 | John MacArthur, Grace Community Church

[metmom]

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Reset “‘Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven’” (Matthew 9:2).

Jesus’ ultimate words to the paralytic, “your sins are forgiven,” represent the greatest of all divine miracles and definitely the most desirable for the one who hears them. This is the holy Son of God forgiving the sins of an unholy man. He could control nature with a word, and with these words He dismissed the man’s sins and graciously made him right with God.

The verb translated “are forgiven” means send away or do away with. David declares, “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us” (Ps. 103:12; cf. Mic. 7:19). “It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance,” Paul asserts, “that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all” (1 Tim. 1:15). That means Jesus came to forgive sinners who trust in Him.

Sin is hostility and rebellion against God and His law (Lev. 26:27; 1 Tim. 1:9; 1 John 3:4). It is incurable by human power (Jer. 13:23), affects all people (Rom. 3:23), affects the total person (Eph. 2:1–3), and subjects people to hell if they do not repent (2 Thess. 1:9).

Such a bleak portrait means the best news anyone can ever receive is the word that his or her “sins are forgiven.”

Ask Yourself

As you pray through a particular issue of need in your life right now, what are you really seeking?

Are you only wanting the resolution of a conflict, the alleviation of pain, the mending of a relationship?

Or does God want your eyes on even greater spiritual matters?

[metmom]

Studying God’s Word ping

[caddie]

This is a wonderful passage and gives us a glimpse into how the Universe works.

Yes it is bad that this man is paralyzed especially back then, but the status of his soul overshadows it completely.

It's like the passage where He is asked "Whose sin caused the man to be blind, his or his parents'?" and Jesus responds that this man was put here with his blind status in some way to glorify the Almighty.

Both passages are worthy of meditation. They are keys to the Universe.

[gitmo]

[Wuli]

In the movie “I Can Only Imagine”, the main character is struggling with his process of trying to reconcile with his father, a father who was a literal beast to him when he was growing up.

And one point you here his thoughts and he is asking “even knowing Christ can forgive me for anything, why can’t I forgive my dad”.

Forgiveness is sometimes a hard lesson to achieve, but a personal blessing to us when we do it.

I think every time Yeshua noted he forgave someone, His forgiveness was already there in Christ and His words are acknowledging that ever present forgiveness.