Today's Scripture

"He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins." (Ephesians 1:7 NLT)

Thoughts for Today

Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. He offers forgiveness as a gift. We have all sinned. We all deserve to die for that sin. But if we reach out to Jesus as Lord and Savior, he forgives us and heals our relationship with the Father.

We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. (Romans 3:22-25 NLT)

After we become Christians by receiving Jesus, we still struggle with sin at times. And sometimes we lose the struggle. But God promises forgiveness if we will turn from that sin and confess it to him.

But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. (1 John 1:9 NLT)

Consider this …

God promises forgiveness. When we repent and confess our sin, he forgives us. We may say we know that, but do we really believe it? Sometimes we still condemn ourselves for the sin. We don't "feel" forgiven. But we need to go by what the Bible says . . . not our feelings.

Walking with God means agreeing with God that we are forgiven.

Are you ready to do that?

Prayer

Father, I believe Jesus died on the cross for my sins. I have turned from my sin. I've confessed it to you and you have forgiven me. Help me to agree with you that I am forgiven so I can grow in my walk with you. In Jesus' name . . .

These thoughts were drawn from …

Stepping into Freedom: A Christ-Centered Twelve-Step Program by Jimmy Ray Lee, D.Min. This twelve-step program is suggested for use in support groups, recovery groups and home groups. It offers help for anyone struggling with a life-controlling problem like drug addiction, alcoholism, sexual addiction, gambling or workaholism. Note: This curriculum was written especially for small groups and we encourage people to use it that way. However, it can also be used effectively as a personal study for individuals or couples.

 

 

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