"So when the devil throws your sins in your face and declares that you deserve death and hell, tell him this...'I admit that I deserve death and hell. What of it? For I know One who suffered and made satisfaction in my behalf. His name is Jesus Christ, Son of God. Where He is, there I shall be also!'"
The above quote is one of my favorite lines from one of my favorite movies, Luther (and Martin Luther himself actually said those words). Whenever I hear that line I get goosebumps because of the wonderful truths that are stated there. Luther's statement is one of the most amazing things that we as Christians can hear. We are forgiven!!!! Our sins are in the past. The guilt and shame of them has been laid upon Christ and they have died along with him. When we sin, we can seek forgiveness, and God, in His amazing love, will grant forgiveness as He says in His word "For I will be merciful towards their iniquities and I will remember their sins no more" (Hebrews 8:12).
What is so unfortunate, however, is that we as Christians often forget that we are forgiven. I know that I fall into this thinking all too often. I feel the guilt and shame for my sins long after they have been forgiven, and this is exactly what Satan wants of us. He wants us to be weighted down with our sins, for then we will be at our weakest and he can attack us with doubt and fear. On my part, I believe, this shows my lack of faith. When God says He has forgiven my sins, HE HAS FORGIVEN THEM! When I still look back and wonder if He really forgave me, still wallow in my guilt, still feel the bondage of sin weighing me down, I'm not fully trusting in Him to do as He has said He will do. I'm not trusting in His power, in the power of the Cross, in Christ's interceding to the Father in my behalf. That's when I need to get on my knees and pray, as the man who brought his son to be healed by Jesus did, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!"
When we understand what true forgiveness means to us as believers, we can counter Satan's attack with the words "The Son has set me free, so I am free indeed!" O what a glorious thought this is; that we are forgiven and set free!
And yes, I realize that this was supposed to be 14 days of thanksgiving, not 15, but I figure that it wouldn't hurt to throw another one in :D
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