“Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, W

Whose sin is covered.

Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity…”

(Psalm 32:1-2a)

When was the last time you felt the grace of being forgiven by someone? 

Perhaps it was a word spoken hastily; a moment’s burst of anger; an unintended wounding of someone’s feelings; the near loss of a relationship… and yet, the person graciously chose to forgive you, while giving you another chance to be a better friend or family member. And just like that, your relationship was saved.    

Such is our relationship with God – because of our sins, we lost our connection with God, until He chose to forgive us. How? By Jesus’ propitiation with His blood, which washes away our sins during our baptism (Rom 3:23-25). Moreover, Jesus chose to die for us while we were still ungodly sinners who did not acknowledge Him (Rom 5:6, 8). So, it is by God’s grace that we have been saved through faith in Jesus Christ (Eph 2:8). 

As we recall God’s salvation grace, let us ponder: When was the last time we felt the grace of being forgiven by God?

Perhaps before believing in Jesus or receiving the Holy Spirit, we doubted God’s existence, power and goodness; we were steeped in our anxieties, sorrows, and worldly pleasures; we were uncertain, or in denial, about where we were heading after death… yet now, God has graciously called you back to Him, and has replaced your heart of stone with a heart of flesh that can be moulded by His words and Spirit. Although we nearly rejected God’s salvation grace to our eternal detriment, because of God’s faithfulness despite our faithlessness (2 Tim 2:13), we are now saved and enjoy peace with God through Jesus Christ (Rom 5:1).

Can you imagine your life if you were never forgiven by God? 

Romans 6:23 spells it out clearly: the wages of sin are death.  

And for believers who sin willfully until they can no longer be forgiven by God, the author of Hebrews 10:26-27 describes their life as such:

“… a certain fearful expectation of judgement, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries.”

Without God’s forgiveness, everything in life is meaningless. 

What is the point of having a beautiful house, a beautiful family, a great career and great health, if you can only spend your life fearing the punishment of God that awaits you after death? How can such a life be considered ‘blissful’? 

As Jesus has said: “What profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” (Mt 16:26)  

Therefore, while we are alive, let us always treasure the grace of being forgiven by God. 

Every day we get to wake up in the morning, every prayer we get to utter in the Spirit, every church service we get to attend – these are God’s extra chances for us to come to our spiritual senses, repent of our sins, and be a better Christian for Him. 

Every day of our busy lives, never forget to stop and survey the wondrous cross, and remind ourselves: I am forgiven; now I owe Him a debt of love. 🩸