A Higher Standard

 

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the richness of His grace.

Ephesians 1: 7 NKJV 

One question always bothered me while I was in a mainstream church.  That is, if Jesus died to rid me of my trespasses, why do I need to still worry about them?  Yet, each and every Sunday morning I was sure to be reminded of just how bad I had behaved and that I not only needed a Savior, but that I needed to continue praying that He would forgive me.  How does that work?  Jesus gives Himself for me yet I need to keep asking Him to?  In jest I invented a saying which I would tell to a select few pastors, 'How many times does Jesus need to be crucified?'  Well, sometimes it seems that Jesus is on a never ending path to and from that cross.  Although we have read in scripture that He has provided for our salvation, we're also told that we need to keep praying for forgiveness.  Why is that?  I'll tell you why, we're our own worst critics.  Once we have the knowing in our hearts that God has provided for the washing of our sins, we can rest in assurance that we are forgiven.  That's it, end of story.  If it were that easy, right?  Well, it is.  The apostle Paul tells us in Romans that we should now consider ourselves "dead indeed" to sin {Romans 6:11}.  That's right, Paul knew that Jesus did not need to be continually martyred every time we feel guilty over our past.  What's done is done, and Jesus has paved the way for us to proclaim with confidence that we are indeed dead to sin.  But, as I said, we are our own worst critics.  Each time we feel guilty over what once was, we feel the need to pray for Gods forgiveness.  Now, I'm not one to tell someone just how they should deal with their prayer life and God, to each his own.  That being said, if it makes one feel more assured praying to the Father for the forgiveness they already own, then who am I to tell them not to?  The bottom line is, when we know in our hearts that we're forgiven, we can speak it with confidence.  

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 

2 Corinthians 5: 17 NKJV 

You will notice in Paul's reminder in 2 Corinthians of our new creation in Christ Jesus what has happened to our old ways.  As Paul tells us, 'old things have passed away.'  They're gone, forever.  Paul never mentions that Jesus left some sin unforgiven to hold over us.  For this reason, Jesus proclaimed on the cross, 'IT IS FINISHED.'  He had accomplished what He had been sent to do, and nothing will ever take that away from us.  Now, the accuser will try to convince us that we are still that sin stained person we used to be, but that does not make it true.  For there is but one truth, we are a new creation in Christ {2 Corinthians 5:17}.  Not only that, it is Christ Jesus who lives in us {Galatians 2:20}.  Knowing this, we can sit through a entire Sunday sermon on the sin of mankind and know that Jesus has provided for your forgiveness.  That old man we used to be is no more.  In his place is the Spirit of Christ Jesus who gave Himself for us.  

~Scott~