By TONY HOSS
If I become a Christian am I truly forgiven of my sins?
One of the most well-known stories in the entirety of the scripture is found in 2 Samuel 11-12. In this story we read of the sin of David and Bathsheba. There is no doubt concerning the severity of the sins of this famous duo; however, even in the light of the terrible sins of David, we learn that David was still able to find forgiveness in the eyes of the Lord. While David found forgiveness, we learn that the consequences of his sin were still made manifest in this present world. For the sins he committed, his child died and Israel herself entered into what is no doubt one of the darkest periods of David’s rule over Israel. While David would suffer because of his sins he never found it appropriate to blame God for any misfortune he experienced. David understood he could be forgiven of sin and still may have to suffer for his previous actions.
Today we live in a society that desires both forgiveness of sins and pardon from the consequences of those sins. While many today equate the two as being completely linked together both in forgiveness and in punishment, this is simply not the truth. There are those who believe that their sins are not fully forgiven if they have to suffer. It even seems that many people are only concerned with being released from the consequences of their sins, having little concern for the forgiveness of the same sin. Many have this idea because of the immediate and earthly consequences of their sins. We should be reminded that being forgiven of sin has to do with the eternal man and not the physical.
While it is true that God does forgive obedient and penitent people, there will be unavoidable consequences for our sins in this life. It is imperative that we place our focus on the eternal rather than the physical. It is also important to remember the driving force behind the forgiveness of our sins. The power of the forgiveness that God is willing to grant is in the blood of the Son of God, Jesus. Everyone should extend thankfulness to God for the gift of His Son who paid the price for our sins so that we would not have to pace the spiritual and eternal consequences of those sins.
If you are not a Christian you can access true forgiveness through an obedient faith to God. He simply asks that we place our faith in His Son (John 3:16; Mark 16: 15-16), repent of our sins (Acts 2:38), confess that Jesus is the Son of the living God (Matt. 10:32) and be buried with Him in baptism (Romans 6: 3-4). If you are a child of God the best course of action is to be faithful! However if you find yourself in a state of apostasy, John gives those who are erring Christians the answer in (1 John 1:1-10).
What will we do in the face of evil? Will we take a stand or will we walk away?
(Tony Hoss is minister at the Centerview Church of Christ, Elizabethton. He can be contacted at 737-2287 or email: tmagho1@comcast.net)