Happy is the Person whose Sins are Forgiven

'Happy is the person whose sins are forgiven... whom the Lord does not consider guilty...' (Psalm 32:1-2 NCV).  

Jesus perfects those that are being made holy. All men who believe in Jesus Christ and repent of their sins are instantly cleansed from their sins. They instantly receive the righteousness of Christ (Justification). However, many fail to appreciate the power of the cross. Even after repenting of their sins they find it difficult to accept the forgiveness of God and forgive themselves. They hold unto the past, and rob themselves of the future that God has ordained for them. Peter denied Christ three times and Judas also betrayed Christ. Both of them felt sorry for what they did, but the difference between the two of them is that, Peter accepted the forgiveness of God and forgave himself but Judas did not, and ended up committing Suicide.

The truth is, there is nothing that you can do about the past, and you can't walk backwards into the future. For you to embrace the future that God has ordained for you, you need to turn your back to the past, start afresh and move forward. The future God has in mind contains more happiness than any past you can remember. Jesus used the parable of the prodigal son to illustrate the power of the cross; that all who repent of their sins and return to their heavenly father receive the compassion and pardon of the father, not forgetting the restoration of their blessings. This study reveals some important lessons about the prodigal son’s restoration.

·                ‘He came to his senses’: meaning he repented. He had a change of mind and heart (Luke 15:17).

·                ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you’: He acknowledged his sins and confessed them (Luke 15:18).

·                ‘He got up and went to his father’: When you fall down don’t remain there, pick something up and get up. Learn from your mistakes, make an effort and take steps to return to God and redeem your blessings (Luke 15:18, 20).

·                He said ‘I am no longer worthy to be called your son…’: Like the prodigal son, most of us think we are not worthy of God’s blessings, but the good news is God sees us through the cross. Quit seeing yourself through your own lenses and see yourself as God sees you (Luke 15:21) .

·                “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet’ (Luke 15:22): Through the cross, God forgives and restores all men that repent and believe in Christ, no matter their sins (John 3:16).

·                ‘Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found…’: Heaven is rejoicing and celebrating your repentance so join them. (Luke 15:23,24)

The blood of Christ cleanses the believer’s conscience. So ‘boldly go into the Holy of Holies, the very presence of God, to “obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16, Hebrews 10:22). Stop punishing yourself with the 'if only's'. After sinning and having God pick him up, David wrote, 'Happy is the person whose sins are forgiven... whom the Lord does not consider guilty...' (Psalm 32:1-2 NCV). Forgive yourself because God has, and you are 'accepted' (Ephesians 1:6 NKJV). If you have wronged others, confess your faults to them and restitute where possible. Learn from your mistakes and allow God to take care of the past.