August 2021

               When my boys were young they used to feel important and grown up if they were allowed to be alone and take care of themselves. We had a Sunday morning routine; I would leave them alone for no more than twenty minutes while I went down the street to the bagel shop.

               One Sunday when I came back they met me at the door and said, “Don’t get mad.” Not the way to start a conversation, I knew they did something wrong. They told me what they did. They were playing and bumped into a table and knocked off and broke a lamp. They were sorry and I saw no reason to punish them, in fact it was never mentioned again.

               We do things wrong and like my boys that Sunday, we should expect to be punished. Without Christ we will be. But if we go to God and tell him we did; we continue to do things wrong and we are sorry; if we ask Jesus to help us and to be our savior, we will be forgiven.

               My boys were forgiven and not punished but a Holy God needs to punish our wrongs. The glory is he did already, on Jesus at the cross. When we ask Jesus to be our savior the punishment we deserve is placed on his back. He takes the whip and the thorns and the nails for us. When we ask Jesus to be our savior his righteousness and perfection is transferred to us, God only sees this when he looks at us.

               I remember the lamp incident but as I said, I never mentioned it again. This was to ensure my children knew they were really forgiven, so they didn’t have to worry about being punished for it at a later date.

               Once we are forgiven by God he doesn’t hold our sins over us. We can be secure. God punished Jesus for our transgressions and as a Holy and just God; he cannot punish us for the same sin. And as Jesus died for all our sin; past, present and future, when we accept Jesus it needs to be done only once and we will never suffer heavenly punishment for sins we may do in the future. Hebrews 10:14, “For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.”

               I remember the lamp incident and never spoke of it but we have a greater confidence in God. Hebrews 8:13, “I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” Not only does God not hold your sins over your head, he doesn’t even remember you did them.

               My children felt the refuge from their mistakes was in my love for them. Our sanctuary from our sins is in God’s love for us and in the cross. Through our faith in Christ, God sees his glory when he looks at us.

               “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.”(2 Peter 3:16)

Pastor Jim