Forgiveness – Here I am

„Asking for mercy is showing weakness!“ „I won't ask for forgiveness.“ “I'm not Jesus – I will not forgive.”

Words like these sadden me. People seem to be full of hatred and unforgiveness. No wonder it's so hard for us to accept God's gift of salvation for us; because it can only be received through asking for forgiveness.

Taking the first quote – you have to show weakness in front of god to be saved. But who wants to be weak? Everyone wants to do things by himself, when you depend on someone else it seems you're not strong enough to do it on your own. Probably one of the reasons why many think that being a Christian is only for wimps. Yet, the opposite is the case I think.

It takes a lot of courage to confess your guilt, to even face it. Who wants to look at what he's done wrong? I certainly don't. But we need to in order to be set free from it. Take it, look at it, give it to God. That's the way we get freed from our sins. Recognize it, confess it, repent, be forgiven.

Isn't it sad that our pride prevents us from being set free? Take the second quote. We deem ourselves to be something better, we're above asking for forgiveness. Even if we did something wrong, we try to argue it away and twist and turn the situation so that maybe it'll turn out that we were right after all. It takes a lot of courage to say sorry.

As for quote three – Jesus happily forgives. But we have to ask for it.

1 John 1:9 - If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

I read about confessing today. To have a good relationship with god, there mustn't be anything between us. So the deeper your relationship with him is, the more you will sense it when there is something between you and God. The only thing that can stand between you and God is sin. Ask him about it, he will show it to you. I'm at the same point right now. And I'm very well aware that discovering the sin might be unwanted and bother me a lot. After all our flesh is still used to sin and is fighting against the new spirit in those who are born again from God (Galatians 5:17). Old habits are sneakily trying to come back and take their old place. But I don't want that; though in the moments of craving I yearn to give in. That's the battle we have to fight.

For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.  

- 2 Corinthians 10:4-5

When we struggle – that's good! Because struggling means that we haven't given up, that we stand our ground. It would be bad to not struggle and simply get defeated – giving in to our sins. To overcome we need to look unto Christ. He is the one we live for and through. He is the one who gives us the power we need because without him, we can do nothing. (John 15:5)

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. - Romans 8:35

After this, I found the lyrics of Majesty (Here I am) by Delirious? They speak for themselves.

Here I am humbled by your Majesty
Covered by your grace so free
Here I am, knowing I'm a sinful man
Covered by the blood of the Lamb

Now I've found the greatest love of all is mine
Since you laid down your life
The greatest sacrifice

Majesty, Majesty
Your grace has found me just as I am
Empty handed, but alive in your hands

Here I am, humbled by the love that you give
Forgiven so that I can forgive
Here I stand, knowing that I'm your desire
Sanctified by glory and fire

Now I've found the greatest love of all is mine
Since you laid down your life
The greatest sacrifice

Majesty, Majesty
Your grace has found me just as I am
Empty handed, but alive in your hands

Majesty, Majesty
Forever I am changed by your love
In the presence of your Majesty

Majesty.

Be blessed by the God who loves to forgive!