"Your sins are forgiven"
The blog's current theme is “the words we speak” but today I want to deviate from that a bit and focus on something we may need to hear.
In Matthew 9:1-8, there is an amazing story of a paralytic who is healed by Jesus. He gets up,takes up his mat, and goes home. Wow! But that's not all..... Jesus also speaks to him the words we all need to hear, “Take heart, son, your sins are forgiven.” (Matt 9:2) It's a very dramatic story with tensions rising between the teachers of the law and Jesus. The miracle of the healing is a validation of Jesus' authority to forgive sins (see verse 6) and the result is a crowd filled with awe (verse8).
But what does all of this have to do with you?
Well, two weeks ago (see November 14) I talked about confession of our sins. Now, here we are able to hear through Scripture, the proclamation of forgiveness of our sins.
I don't know where you are at with God but I want to suggest an exercise. Read through the story of Matthew 9:1-8 again. This time, put yourself in the paralytics shoes. Imagine that Jesus is speaking these words to you. This may not be easy for you to do. You may have to reread the passage a few times. Then, take notice of your response. Do you want to dismiss His forgiveness? Are you grateful to receive it? Does a specific action or attitude come up in your mind and you say... “Really? I'm really forgiven?” or “Praise God that I am free from that sin.”
Or maybe you have a totally difference reaction. Wherever you are at, let me encourage you to use this exercise as a means of drawing near to God.
In Matthew 9:1-8, there is an amazing story of a paralytic who is healed by Jesus. He gets up,takes up his mat, and goes home. Wow! But that's not all..... Jesus also speaks to him the words we all need to hear, “Take heart, son, your sins are forgiven.” (Matt 9:2) It's a very dramatic story with tensions rising between the teachers of the law and Jesus. The miracle of the healing is a validation of Jesus' authority to forgive sins (see verse 6) and the result is a crowd filled with awe (verse8).
But what does all of this have to do with you?
Well, two weeks ago (see November 14) I talked about confession of our sins. Now, here we are able to hear through Scripture, the proclamation of forgiveness of our sins.
I don't know where you are at with God but I want to suggest an exercise. Read through the story of Matthew 9:1-8 again. This time, put yourself in the paralytics shoes. Imagine that Jesus is speaking these words to you. This may not be easy for you to do. You may have to reread the passage a few times. Then, take notice of your response. Do you want to dismiss His forgiveness? Are you grateful to receive it? Does a specific action or attitude come up in your mind and you say... “Really? I'm really forgiven?” or “Praise God that I am free from that sin.”
Or maybe you have a totally difference reaction. Wherever you are at, let me encourage you to use this exercise as a means of drawing near to God.
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