forgiveness

Freedom Through Forgiveness

~ ForCommonGround ~ Leave a comment

Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses.

Acts 13:38-39

In these powerful verses, the Apostle Paul delivers a revolutionary truth at the heart of the Christian gospel. Speaking to both Jews and Gentiles in the synagogue at Pisidian Antioch, Paul announces something radically new: forgiveness and freedom through Jesus Christ.

Paul begins with good news: “through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.” This is not forgiveness earned or negotiated—it is proclaimed. That word carries weight. It means the message is public, certain, and available to all who hear it. The gospel doesn’t whisper forgiveness—it declares it loudly for sinners, doubters, and outcasts alike.

In a world weighed down by guilt and striving, this message still breaks chains. In a world that has so many who are trying to figure out who they are, struggling with their gender identity, battling impure sexual desires, the gospel has the power to set them free. Free from guilt and free from brokenness. Our forgiveness is not based on merit or rituals, but on the person and work of Jesus. This includes the mistakes we regret, the habits we hide, and the guilt we carry. Jesus doesn’t offer partial freedom. He offers total release. This is a bold claim, but it’s the core of the gospel: Christ sets us free.

Paul contrasts this freedom with what the law of Moses could not do. The law was holy and good, but it could only reveal sin—it couldn’t remove it. It could show us our need for righteousness, but it couldn’t make us righteous. I know people who unfortunately cling to the Old Testament, believing the law can save. Elevating law over Jesus. Clinging to a form of self righteousness. Only Jesus, through His death and resurrection, could provide the justification the law could never achieve. In Christ, we’re not just forgiven—we’re declared righteous before God. This is grace, not earned status. It’s a gift, not a wage.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans‬ ‭6‬:‭23‬ ‭ESV

So today, let these words encourage your heart:

• You are forgiven.

• You are free.

• You are justified by faith, not by works.

Let this message be the one you proclaim to others, too. Because in Christ, freedom isn’t a dream—it’s a reality. Now let the weight fall off your shoulders. Love Jesus and make Him known. Run after the One who has set you free.

Peace in Christ brothers and sisters.

“The Power of Forgiveness: Lessons from the Bible”

~ ForCommonGround ~ 1 Comment

Forgiveness is a fundamental concept that resonates throughout the Scriptures, teaching us valuable lessons about compassion, healing, and the grace of God. It has played a key role in my life, especially pointing me to the goodness of God and seeing that goodness in His children. Below are several lessons about forgiveness that have been shown to me through the years and I hope they will mean something to you as well.

Forgiveness is a Divine Act. One of the most powerful examples of forgiveness in the Bible can be found in the parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32). This story beautifully illustrates the Father’s unconditional love and forgiveness, welcoming back his wayward son with open arms. We learn that God’s forgiveness is boundless and available to all who repent. Therefore my forgiveness should be boundless.

The Lord’s Prayer is a model of forgiveness. In the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13), Jesus teaches us to pray for forgiveness as we forgive others. This passage reminds us of the reciprocity of forgiveness – the extent to which we forgive others directly influences the forgiveness we receive from our Heavenly Father. It underscores the importance of extending grace to one another. Jesus says, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us” (Matthew 6:14-15). This verse reinforces the concept that we must be willing to forgive others just as we expect God to forgive our sins. Forgiveness is not just a one-way street but a continuous cycle of grace and mercy.

Joseph’s Forgiveness is a Testament of Strength. The story of Joseph and his brothers (Genesis 37, 39-45) offers an inspiring example of forgiveness. Despite being betrayed and sold into slavery by his own siblings, Joseph forgives them when they come to him in need. His journey from betrayal to forgiveness reminds us that forgiveness can bring about healing and restoration. I find myself needing to forgive others for much less. Shame on me if I find it hard to offer the grace that has been offered me.

Forgiveness leads to peace. In Colossians 3:13, we are instructed to “bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” Forgiveness not only mends relationships but also leads to inner peace and harmony within the community of believers.

The Sacrifice of Jesus: The Ultimate Act of Forgiveness. The pinnacle of forgiveness in the Bible is seen in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. His sacrifice on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins demonstrates the magnitude of God’s love and forgiveness. Jesus, even in his agony, cried out, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). This profound act of forgiveness serves as the foundation of our faith and redemption, underscoring the importance of forgiving others as we have been forgiven.

Forgiveness brings healing. In James 5:16, we are told to confess our sins to one another and pray for each other so that we may be healed. Forgiveness is not only a spiritual act but also a source of emotional and physical healing. Holding onto bitterness and resentment can be detrimental to our health, and forgiveness brings about freedom and restoration.

Forgiving Seventy Times Seven. In Matthew 18:21-22, Peter asks Jesus, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus responds, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy times seven.” This statement is a call to limitless forgiveness. It highlights that forgiveness should be a continual practice in our lives, not a limited resource.

The Blessings of Forgiveness. In Psalm 32:1-2, King David beautifully expresses the blessings of forgiveness: “Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them.” Forgiveness brings relief from guilt and the assurance of God’s love.

In our journey of faith, let us remember that forgiveness is a divine act that brings healing, reconciliation, and blessings. Through Christ’s sacrifice and the biblical teachings on forgiveness, we are called to extend grace to others as we have received it from our Heavenly Father. By doing so, we live out the gospel, becoming instruments of God’s love and reconciliation in the world. Forgiveness is a central theme in the story God has been telling. that reflects His boundless love and grace. Because of that, we are called to live from a place of compassion and mercy to one another.

May you experience the peace that comes with living in His forgiveness.

Because of the Grace of Christ

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The Day of Atonement, or Yom Kippur, is considered to be the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. It is a day that bring much anxiety and anticipation for it is on this day that it is believed all sins for the previous year are wiped away. Yom Kippur comes at the end of what is referred to as the 10 days of Awe. During this time there is supposed to be sincere and devout reflection and repentance culminating in the day of cleansing or atonement. When we look in the books of Exodus and Leviticus and read about this feast, it gives us a beautiful picture of our need to be made clean. The process was quite extensive for the priests and the people. So much was wrapped up in this day, and for many, it is still is.

For believers in Jesus, Yom Kippur is every bit as significant and a powerful reminder of what Jesus did for you and me on the cross. Because of the grace of Christ, we are clean. Because of the grace of Christ, we no longer need to wait in anxiety for a future day of atonement. Because of the grace of Christ, we are free. But the grace of Christ should not lead us to forgo repentance, it should give us the desire to do it all the more. When I see my failures and shortcomings in light of the perfection of Christ, and then grip the reality that this perfection hung on a cross in my place and suffered tremendous pain for me, how could I help but to fall to my knees in awe, gratitude, and repentance? We are all broken, but have been made whole through Jesus. We have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God, but because of the grace of Christ, we can taste and experience that glory. Because of the grace of Christ we can repent and have full assurance that we are forgiven.

“Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

Isaiah 53:4-6

Today, we repent and we rejoice. Thank you Jesus for all you’ve done and all you still do. Peace in Christ brothers and sisters.

Grace Overflowing

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And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

2 Corinthians 9:8 (NKJV)

It seems like it can be so easy to get offended by what others say or do to us. Sometimes we feel justified to feel a certain way and that we have a right to not forgive someone. However, Christ was pretty straight forward with us…we are to forgive as He has forgiven us. We really don’t have any choice in the matter if we claimed allegiance to Christ. By not forgiving we place ourselves in the judgment seat that is already occupied. When we don’t forgive, we attempt to usurp God’s throne. It may not seem like that in our minds. We are hurt and upset and we don’t feel like forgiving. Simple right? In those moments it’s important to think about all the ways we hurt or insult God by our actions, thoughts, or words. If we’re honest with ourselves in those moments, we will quickly realize that to not forgive the offenses done to us is beyond hypocrisy.

God does not tell us to forget or to not feel the hurt from time to time, but He does tell us to forgive. To forgive is to release them from a debt. A debt that you perceive that they owe to you. It is our fallen human nature, a product of this broken world, that we think people should get what they deserve. At the same time, we are so grateful that we don’t get what we deserve. The word grace means underserving kindness, favor, or forgiveness. Just think of all the things that God is constantly forgiving us for and how we don’t deserve it. Obviously we are not Jesus but once again, God is calling us to be like Jesus. God has given us an abundance of grace, which we can use in those moments when we feel wronged or mistreated.

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

Colossians 3:12-13 (ESV)

Almost every day presents opportunities to be offended. But with that, we have opportunities to grow in grace every day. My guess is, while reading this, you have someone or some event in mind. Have you forgiven them? Have you moved forward in grace? The one who pays the largest price for unforgiveness is the one who refuses to forgive. Choose love. Chose peace. Choose to show the world a love that is beyond human nature.

In the days I struggle, it helps to read through the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant found in Matthew 18. To see the enormous level of grace shown to the servant, who then turns around and refuses to extend grace to others, is a bitter pill to swallow when I see myself in that story doing the same. We’ve hurt God far more than anyone has and ever will hurt us in this lifetime. And He’s gone above and beyond to show us forgiveness. How can we do any different? How can we possibly refuse to give what has been given to us. How can we be so blind? While the hurt is real, the only real cure is love, which is far more powerful.

An incredible song by Hillsong Worship called Thank you Jesus opens with the lines, “Grace that flows like a river, washing over me. Fount of Heaven, love of Christ, overflow in me.” Lord let that be true in all of your children. Let’s overflow in love and grace!

Peace in Christ my brothers and sisters

The New Dawn

~ ForCommonGround ~ Leave a comment

Where have your convictions gone?

Laying dormant below the surface.

Waiting to arise but held in place.

Pushed to a place no one will find them.

They’ve been gone so long not even you may recognize them.

Move aside.

Let them break through.

Relinquish the self inflicted chains that bind them.

Embrace your true identity.

Take the first step back onto the path of life.

The One who breathed life into you before, can do it once more.

Awaken to the new dawn.

See the light pierce the deep darkness you’ve been wandering through.

Hear the One who spoke you into existence speak soft words of love once again.

You’ve been closed off from Him for so long.

But He’s never left your side.

Bring your worst and watch it melt away in the presence of His forgiveness.

“Welcome home my child,” He says, “Oh how I’ve missed you.”

Punished NOT Abandoned 

~ ForCommonGround ~ 1 Comment


I’ve had to punished my girls and I can tell you that it is one of my least favorite things to do in life. It may be necessary and right to do, but it is so hard sometimes. And even when I punish them, I have no intentions of ever leaving them. When correction is needed in their lives, and they have to face the realities of consequences, I want them to know that my love for them will never diminish. I imagine God looks at us in the same way only with greater intensity.

In the middle of pain, especially the self induced kind, it’s easy to assume God is nowhere to be found. After all, it’s my own fault i’m in this mess so why would He be here? I sinned and disobeyed Him so why would He want to be with me? I’ve committed this same old offense once more so now He really must have given up on me. How could I blame Him if He was absent in my consequences? 

The life of Moses is a captivating one to say the least. He narrowly escaped being murdered by Egyptians when he was a baby, he was raised by both his mother and pharaoh’s household, he killed an Egyptian while standing up for a fellow Hebrew, he fled into exile for 40 years, then he’s called by God (out of a burning bush!) to tell the most powerful nation in the world to release its slave labor force, he’s put in charge of a nation of people while on an exodus over hundreds of miles, and constantly has to mediate between a Holy God and an ungrateful people. No doubt that he must have been an amazing man. But even as incredible as Moses was, he still suffered from the same ailment as all of humanity: sin. One such sin caused a major consequence. In the book of Numbers, chapter 20, Moses and Aaron have to deal with a bit of a water shortage. To sum it up, Moses and Aaron don’t follow God’s instructions and end up taking the glory for bringing water from a rock rather than giving God the glory for it. The effect from that would be denied entry into the promised land. Ouch! But that’s not the point of this story. Moses screwed up and so do we. No need to remind everyone of that. What I want to point out came at the end of all this, when Moses is facing up to the consequences, at what would be the end of his life.

“Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho. And the Lord showed him all the land…And the Lord said to him, “This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, ‘I will give it to your offspring.’ I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there.” So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord, and he buried him in the valley in the land of Moab opposite Beth-peor; but no one knows the place of his burial to this day.”

‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭34:1,4-6‬ ‭

Moses had to miss out on walking in the promise land but he got something so much better. The Lord went up the mountain with him. The Lord showed him a glimpse out of grace. The Lord buried him where only He knows. Despite Moses’ disobedience the Lord never left him. Once chosen by God, Moses was His forever. That didn’t exclude Moses from the consequences of his sin but it did keep him in grace. And that is no consolation prize.

I heard a story once of a little boy who was placed in timeout by his mom. He begged and begged to be let out but his mom stayed firm. Along came grandpa and the little boy pleaded with him to take him out even though his mom had said no. Instead of taking the boy out, the grandpa sat with the boy in time out until his time had been served. God is much like the grandpa. He may not excuse us from the hurt and pain that our actions create, but He’ll be right there with us. Keep in mind that God is no stranger to punishment. He chose the most excruciating crucifixion for our sake and He didn’t deserve it. If He’ll hang on a cross out of love for us and you can be sure He’ll be with us in our time outs, our pain, our breakups, our divorces, our failing health, and all our sufferings. 

Believer, our sin will reap consequences in this life, for us and others. There may be no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1), but that does not exclude us from pain. On the other hand it also does not forfeit us from God’s grace. Where we have to be concerned is if there is no desire to repent of sin. Moses repented and continued to pursue God all the way to the end. If God has chosen you then He’ll be right there with you even as you battle your way through the wake of your sin. 

Our mistakes are not the end of our story just like it wasn’t for Moses. After all, Moses did enter the promise land one day. And who took him there? It was the Lord.

“And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭17:1-3‬ ‭ESV‬‬

The desperate heart has only one place to look, and that’s up. Think God has left you? Not a chance. Screwed up royally? God is still at the door knocking. Whether you’re a Believer or not, God is in pursuit of you. Our ugliness doesn’t drive Him away. If it did, He never would’ve gone to the cross for us in the first place. 

Don’t be Selfish with Grace

~ ForCommonGround ~ 2 Comments

grace

If someone in your life did something wrong, would you be a person they’d want to come to? What if they had done something to you personally? Grace is not ours to withhold. Doing so communicates a message about Jesus that He is enough to forgive my sin but not enough for me to forgive yours.  The power to forgive, found in Christ, can be applied to all situations. To argue the contrary is to say that our hurt is worth more than the souls of humanity. Christ died for our souls in the face of our hate and rebellion and sin. What do we have to do in order to forgive someone of their debt? We certainly don’t have to be beaten, have nails driven through our wrists and feet, or hang to death on a cross. Jesus endured all that so that those who choose Him can have every wrong erased permanently. I’m not saying that grace is always easy, but it is necessary. No one could ever wrong us more than we’ve wronged God. To show grace is to show others a glimpse of God. To show grace is tell others that Jesus’ sacrifice is real and powerful and life-changing.

So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.

Colossians 3:12-14 (The Message)