Day 128 – Thankful for Jesus – plantedbylivingwater

For those of you who avoid thinking about sin because it makes you feel guilty and ashamed, please read this through to the end for the solution to that problem.

There is a religious theory out there, believed by many people, that our good deeds have the possibility of outweighing our bad deeds. This reveals a major misunderstanding of what God calls sin.

Romans 3:23 says,

“for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”

Sin is coming short of God’s glory. Sin is any lack of holiness. It is like shooting the arrow and missing the target. It is like kicking for the field goal and totally failing to even come close enough to hit the post.

We ALL have this same verdict. Not one of us has no sin.

If we had been able to outweigh our sin with our goodness, Jesus would not have had to come. He would not have had to suffer. He would not have had to die on a cross in agony.

The truth is, without Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins, we would be sunk.

Even if we manage to behave ourselves outwardly in a righteous-seeming conduct, the thoughts and attitudes of our minds and the desires of our hearts on a daily basis come short of the glory of God.

No other sacrifice of any animal throughout the centuries has been able to truly, totally, and forever forgive sin. They were all only symbolic of the life that needed to be given so that the worshipper might live.

The sacrifice that Jesus made of Himself is the only sacrifice that is able to truly, totally, and forever forgive sin. He is the only perfect sacrifice who had no sin. And, God the Father showed that He was pleased with the sacrifice of His Son by raising Him from the dead. This can be said about no other sacrifice throughout all the annals of time. They all died and stayed dead. Only Jesus was resurrected!

Jesus paid the price that was necessary for the forgiveness of your sins and mine.

If you want to be forgiven of your sins, believe that He did this for you and receive the pardon that He offers for free because He loves you.

He wants to set you free from guilty feelings, shame and self-loathing, and the fear that come from the deep-down knowledge that you have sinned. Won’t you put your trust in Him today and receive His forgiveness of your sins?

Today I am thankful for Jesus.

I’m thankful for His sacrifice for my sins.

I’m thankful that He graciously sets me free from guilt and shame!

I’m thankful that He invites me to come into His presence, forgiven and unashamed, to be loved by Him like I can be loved by no other!

I’m thankful that He is preparing a place for me in heaven to be with Him someday, made holy by Him alone!

What about you? Have you ever considered why Jesus had to die? Have you ever come to Him personally in prayer to confess your sin and your faith in Him to forgive you? Have you accepted His love for you, or do you still think you have to earn it? Have you ever known anyone who loved you unconditionally? Do you believe that God is able to do that?