A bumper sticker reads: ‘Christians are not different – they are just forgiven!’and it’s true. Christians are no different to anyone else.
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No one has to strive to arrive at a state of goodness. If we were on that journey, it would be a fruitless and hopeless pursuit. And yet many people are on that journey.
God himself is the highest good. His goodness is revealed in Jesus. He never spoke a lie. He never retaliated and hurt anyone. While he was human we are told he: ‘has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet (he) was without sin.’ (Hebrews 4:15) Jesus did not know or understand ‘wrongdoing.’
He was perfect. We are not.
God’s goodness is further revealed by sending Jesus into the world to rescue and redeem a fallen and broken world. This is what the cross of Christ is all about. Every Easter reminds us of that. Here Jesus took our wrongdoing and sin upon himself, and clothed us with his robes of righteousness (his holiness and perfection).
He did for us what we cannot do for ourselves. He paid the price for our wrongdoing. He put us right with God. ‘For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no-one can boast.’ (Ephesians 2:8-9)
We have been put right with God and made good! We don’t have to strive to arrive at this point - it is our beginning! And from that point of ‘being made good’ we now live. We endeavour to live ‘good’ lives. By helping and blessing others and making our community and world a better place. But we do not do it alone.
Christians still slip up and make mistakes. They still disappoint and hurt others. They still need God’s forgiveness and always will.
Forgiveness is such an important part of healthy relationships.
We need to mend relationships that have been harmed - in marriages and families; between parents and children; in friendships and in communities. Without healing there is no hope for the future. Relationships fall apart, disintegrate and die. Hostilities remain.
Forgiving relationships are living relationships.
Do you need forgiveness? We all do. Go to God. He welcomes and receives everyone in need of healing. He offers forgiveness to all - unconditionally.
But there may still be some consequences. Life is like that. Some wrongs in life demand punishment. Even God knows that. But he offers hope and a future to all who are truly sorry for the wrongs done.
Let your hope be in God and in the promises of his word. For: ‘God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world though him.’ (John 3:17) You don’t have to pursue what you will never achieve. Your goodness is in God alone. He is good all the time.