All your sins are forgiven

Heard this message at church a couple of times... but it only lately that I truly start to understand what it really means...

The root to every bad behavior is the feeling of condemnation... (an unforgiven sin)

What is sin? Sin is defined as the falling short of perfection. It does not state how far you fall from perfection. You can be a 99% correct and disciplined person, but the law condemns you anyway...

Law condemns the best of us... While grace saves the worst of us....

Why do people misbehave? Why are people rude and mean? Why do people hurt themselves by smoking, drinking excessively, hurling insults at their loved ones? The root is in fact... the feeling of condemnation.... Because, these people are aware they have fallen short... and that they have sinned... and yet, they are not aware of the salvation and ABSOLUTE forgiveness Jesus has died to provide us with... Thus, they feel that no matter how hard they try, they will never be able to make things better...

These people are not delusional or negative... they are right... Compared to self-righteous people who believe they can achieve perfection by their own works... I consider such people one step closer to wisdom...

They are right to acknowledge how helpless they are... they are right to conclude that however hard they try, they will never be able to wash away the sins of their past... but what they need to desperately know is that...

ALL their sins are forgiven...

And it is in fact, not a privilege that is granted to us without a cost... The cost was the pain and suffering and ultimate death of God's son, Jesus... For someone as precious as Jesus to go through that many hours of humiliation, torture and dehumanisation... it is really not a small price to pay...

Thus, the least we can do now is to recieve this gift... this gift of forgiveness of ALL sins... Yes, your works are unable to erase your past sins.. BUT Jesus's pain and death.. his blood... is able to do that! Jesus's blood washes away all your sins... your slate is clean....

Every single second of your life now.. you are viewed as a precious child of God in God's eyes... He can no longer punish you for the sins that you've commited? Why? Is it because God has gone soft on sin? No. It is simply because God is perfectly fair and just.. for all the sins that Jesus has carried on the cross and died for... God cannot punish it the second time...

So whatever it is... whatever wrong you find hard to forgive yourself for... acknowledge it now that that sin is carried on Jesus on the cross... you no longer have to punish yourself for it.... Be free from this self-condemnation... Self-condemnation does not result in humility. Instead, it results in a form of extreme low self-esteem that will lead you to feel helpless and small.... and thus to behave accordingly... You forget that when God created you... precious child of God... he created you for great things.... destined to be a great person...

With that said, even the sins of those you hate... the sins of your enemies... all these sins were carried on Jesus... when he died on the cross... Jesus carried the sins of the entire world.... the sins from the past... all the way into the future... every single moment of yoru life, your slate of sins is cleared... every single imperfection forgiven and taken away from the moment they occur... this is GRACE.

Now with this freedom, go out and sin no more... Similarly, bear no hatred for your neighbour.. for even his sins are carried on Jesus... Just remember that if you should find it hard to forgive... pray for forgiveness.. and you shall recieve it as a gift... Do not bear the hatred in your heart.... hatred and vengefulness are like poison to the soul and body... it makes you sick and weak and unhappy...

Let go and Let God.