May 25, 2015

"Then he says, “I will never again remember their sins and lawless deeds.” And when sins have been forgiven, there is no need to offer any more sacrifices. And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place." Hebrews 10:17-20

"And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.”Hebrews 8:12

“I—yes, I alone—will blot out your sins for my own sake and will never think of them again."Isaiah 43:25

The first holiday of the Summer season, Memorial Day. Several things will be predictable, most people will overdo it and most will get sunburned.

It is great that we have a holiday set aside to remind us of the cost of our freedom and to remember those who gave their lives in the struggle for freedom. There have been a lot of wars and a lot of deaths. 25,000 in the Revolutionary War, 570,000 in the Civil War, WWI - 117,000, WWII - 408,000, Korea - 53,000 and Vietnam - 58,000. The Gulf Wars are 5,000 and counting.

Saturday night I went to a very moving ceremony at the Fredericksburg National Cemetery where 15,300 soldiers lie buried. It is a solemn place to visit any time of any day, but on Memorial Day moments after sunset with every grave marked by luminaries and a trumpeter playing taps - it was deeply emotional moment. That sight is etched on my memory forever.

You cannot drive past a cemetery this week-end without seeing decorated graves. It is important to remember.

Now that Memorial Day has come, I want to take a moment to comment not on what we should remember, but on something that has been forgotten. Not only do we focus on what has been forgotten but on Who has forgotten. God, Who is the all omniscient and everlasting God has chosen not to remember something - our sins. That is huge!

How can that be? How can God forget?

He has chosen to forget what is forgiven. Our Scriptures remind us that when we receive the forgiveness of sins through His Son Christ, He not only forgives those sins but He forgets about them!

So, during this week-end of remembering honor the memories of those who died for your freedom, also pause to be thankful for something that has been forgotten - your sins!

May 24, 2015

In yesterday's post I mentioned six things to remember about God's grace that will help you win in the battlefield of your heart and mind. Here are six more powerful things to remember about God's grace in Christ Jesus.

(7) HE PASSED OVER YOUR SIN - We now come to the 7th, 8th, and 9th things that God did with our sin, all of which are found in Micah 7:18-19.

“Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love. He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea” (Micah 7:18-19).

To “pass over” is to pay no heed; it is to ignore; it is to act as if whatever is passed over is no longer present. But this doesn’t mean God ignores or pretends that our sin never existed. The reason God passes over our sin is because he has laid it on Christ. He did not “pass over” Jesus when he hung on the cross. He lingered in wrath as the Son of God was exposed to judgment that we deserved. That is why now God always and forevermore will “pass over” our transgressions.

(8) HE TRAMPLED YOUR SIN UNDER HIS FOOT - To “trample” or “tread” underfoot something is to exert your authority over it. It is to put on display the victory you have achieved over whoever or whatever your enemy may be. For God to tread underfoot all our sins means that he has defeated it. Its power over you is done away. Its authority to rule your life is undone. God has conquered the threat sin poses. He has taken steps to remove its condemning power. It no longer has the capacity to steal your joy or rob your value or determine your eternal destiny. And the way in which God goes about making this point and driving it home is by asking you to envision in your mind your sin on the ground, in the dirt, beneath God’s feet as it were, as he treads upon it, stomping it into oblivion.

(9) HE CAST YOUR SIN INTO THE SEA - The prophet Micah here draws upon Israel’s history to make his point. Nothing weighed more joyfully on the minds of God’s people than the story of how he delivered Israel from bondage in Egypt and then conquered Pharaoh and his armies by drowning them in the Red Sea. Listen carefully to the language of Exodus 15:4-5 that describes this incredible event: “Pharaoh’s chariots and his host he cast into the sea, and his chosen officers were sunk in the Red Sea. The floods covered them; they went down into the depths like a stone” (Exod. 15:4-5).

There is simply no escaping the fact that Micah is appealing to this victory of God over the enemies of his people to portray what God does in defeating and subduing and forever setting us free from the guilt and punishment of our sin:

How much more graphic must God be before you enter into the joy of his forgiving love? All vestige of condemning guilt is gone. Again, “just as God said He put our sins behind His back, so here He says He will hurl them into the depths of the sea. He wants them to be lost forever, because He has fully dealt with them in His Son, Jesus Christ” (Jerry Bridges, Transforming Grace, 40).

(10) HE BLOTTED OUT YOUR SIN - “I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud and your sins like a mist; return to me, for I have redeemed you” (Isaiah 44:22).

“Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities” (Psalm 51:9).

In ancient days debts were hand-written with ink in books. When a debt was paid by the debtor his name and the amount of the debt was blotted out by one holding the debt. All that remained was an ink blot where once a debt was recorded.

That's what the blood of Jesus did to your sins once you trusted Him for salvation!

(11) HE TURNED HIS FACE AWAY FROM YOUR SIN - We know this to be true because this is one of the requests made by David when he repented for his transgression: “Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities” (Psalm 51:9).

Don’t look any longer on my failures! Let not your eyes gaze on my wickedness! Perhaps the best way to understand this is to consider its opposite. When people do not repent and trust God’s provision for forgiveness, he doesn’t turn his face away; in fact, he looks intently and angrily at their sin: “For my eyes are on all their ways. They are not hidden from me, nor is their iniquity concealed from my eyes” (Jeremiah 16:17).

But for those whose trust is in Christ, God forever and finally has turned away his face from all our transgressions. He cannot see them. He does not catch so much as a passing glance at our sin.

(12) HE SIMPLY REFUSED TO REMEMBER YOUR SIN - “I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins” (Isaiah 43:25).

“For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more” (Heb. 8:12; cf. 10:1).

·       But how can this be true if God is omniscient………….

·       How utterly different that is from us………

God, on the other hand, promises never to remember. He will not brood over our sin. He will not reflect upon it, think about it, contemplate it, analyze it, or ever again bring it up to himself, to you, or to others.

SO – ALWAYS REMEMBER – BE MINDFUL OF THESE 12 THINGS GOD HAS DONE WITH YOUR SINS THAT HAVE BEEN CONFESSED AND REPENTED OF!

The power of remembering is the power to remember His grace instead of your disgrace!

May 23, 2015

One of the great gifts God gave us is the gift of remembering AND the ability to NOT remember!

Learning what to remember and what not to remember is a huge part of winning the battle of the heart and mind.

In this post and the next I want to remind you of several things you need to remember that God has chosen not to remember about you!

(1) HE LAID YOUR SIN UPON JESUS - “All we like sheep have gone astray,” said Isaiah the prophet; “we have turned – every one – to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all” - Isaiah 53:6

Three important doctrinal terms come from this verse:

·         Substitution – God substituted His Son for your sin. Your penalty was placed upon Him on the cross.

·         Justification – Sin brings the penalty of death but Jesus’ substitutionary death for you paid the penalty and justified you in the eyes of God.

·         Penalty Imputed to Him/Righteousness to Us – Your sin was imputed to Him and His righteousness is imparted to you!

This is what we read in 2 Corinthians 5:21 – “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

(2) HE FORGAVE YOUR SIN - Psalm 32:5 – “I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,’ and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.”

What does it mean for God to “forgive” our sin? It simply means that he promises never to hold our sin against us in order to justify our rejection or judgment. In other words, when forgiveness has occurred there no longer exists any legal or moral grounds on the basis of which God might condemn you or me. The punishment that sin requires is no longer a threat because it has been laid upon someone else, namely, our substitute Jesus Christ.

In other words, to have our sins forgiven means that when it comes to our salvation they simply no longer register or appear on God’s radar! They no longer factor in any relevant or meaningful way into our eternal relationship with him. If forgiven, our sins simply no longer exist in the mind of God to shape or determine or govern our ultimate eternal destiny.

(3) HE CLEANSED YOUR SIN - All through Scripture sin is portrayed as dark and ugly and dirty. It soils and spoils everything. It is like a deep, dark, seemingly indelible stain on our souls. It discolors and distorts everything. Yet God appeals to us in Isaiah 1:18 with these wonderful words: “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord; though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.”

So, do you “feel” dirty? Does your heart ache with the stain of sin? Does guilt darken your emotions and paralyze you in your relationship with God? It need not! For God has “cleansed” your sin!

So, God first laid our sin on Christ; secondly, he then forgave our sin; and thirdly, he cleansed our sin, making us pure and acceptable in his sight.

(4) HE COVERED YOUR SIN - In Psalm 85:2 we read about how God not only “forgave” the sins of his people but how he “covered all their sin”

Why do you “cover” something? It may be to keep it warm or to protect it. But in the case of our sins, God covers them in order to hide them from view, so that no one may see them, whether it be God, you, or other people. Your sins no longer exist out in the open for all to see. They have been forever covered over by God through the blood of Jesus Christ and they are never again to be visible or accessible or available for anyone to use them to condemn or judge.

(5) HE CAST YOUR SIN BEHIND HIS BACK - Hezekiah put it this way: “Behold, it was for my welfare that I had great bitterness; but in love you have delivered my life from the pit of destruction, for you have cast all my sins behind your back” (Isa. 38:17)

The imagery is vivid. It is as if God takes all our sin in hand and then throws it behind him, never to see it again, never to be influenced by it again, never again to take it into consideration when he deals with us or hears our prayers. He doesn’t cast it behind our backs but behind his. David said his sin was always “before him” (Ps. 51), but when he confessed and repented God put it behind his back. Such is the love of forgiveness.

(6) HE REMOVED YOUR SIN AS FAR AS THE EAST IS FROM THE WEST - (Psalm 103:12).

The Hubble Telescope has given us breathtaking pictures of a galaxy some 13 billion lights years from earth. Yes, 13 billion light years! Remember, a light year is 6,000,000,000,000 (six trillion) miles. That would put this galaxy at 78,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 miles from earth! In case you were wondering, we count from million, to billion, to trillion, to quadrillion, to quintillion, to sextillion. So, this galaxy is 78 sextillion miles from earth.

If you traveled 500 mph non-stop, literally sixty-minutes of every hour, twenty-four hours in every day, seven days in every week, fifty-two weeks in every year, with not a moment’s pause or delay, it would take you 20,000,000,000,000,000 years (that’s 20 quadrillion years) to get there! And that would only get you to the farthest point that our best telescopes have yet been able to detect. If the universe is infinite, as I believe it is, this would be the mere fringe of what lies beyond.

My point, the point of the psalmist, is that the magnitude of such distance is a pathetically small comparison to the likelihood that you will ever be dealt with according to your sins or repaid for your iniquities! If you were ever inclined to pursue your transgressions so that you might place yourself beneath their condemning power, 78,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 miles is an infinitesimally small fraction of the distance you must travel to find them!

When you choose to remember what He has chosen not to remember about your sin, you will begin to win on the battlefield of your mind!

May 22, 2015

"Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended; but this one thing I do, forgetting the things that are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:13-14

Four common ways people commonly deal with painful memories:

·         Curse It – Resignation

Job’s wife wanted him to just curse God and die. Sometimes the traumas, tragedies and disappointments of life can be overwhelming. It is easy to lose hope and resign yourself to fate. But when you do you will disgrace yourself and God.

·         Rehearse It – Resentment

Resentment is addictive. It is one of the greatest killers of careers, marriages and families because it causes you to focus only on the past and not on the present or the future!

Worst of all, you become more addicted to the feeling of resentment the more you rehearse it. So it’s crucial you put a stop to it before it destroys you and cause you to disgrace yourself and God.

·         Nurse It – Relish

It’s OK to be angry! Anger is a legitimate response to disappointment and hurt. But it becomes dangerous when you stay angry and start nursing a grudge. Don’t relish the feelings or the sympathy. That opens the door for Satan to torment you and keep you trapped in unforgiveness and bitterness! So get angry if you need to, but also get over it quickly!

·         Reverse It - Release

Resist the temptation to resign to the painful memories, or resent the painful memories or to relish the painful memories and release it to the grace of God. Refuse to dwell on past pain and focus on God’s presence, His power and His promises!

We are blessed to live in a Nation that has been successful on the battlefield when defending our freedom and security! That is what we are celebrating this long week-end!

I am also concerned that here at FredWes we learn to win the spiritual battles that are contested on the battlefields of our minds.

When you curse your painful memories and resign yourself to self-pity you are losing the battle! You are remembering what you should not remember and not remembering what you should.

Are you giving into self-pity? Have you resigned to your feelings rather than your faith?

When you rehearse your painful memories open the door to resentment and anger you are losing the battle!. That can lead to despair and depression by remembering what you shouldn’t remember and not remembering what you should.

Are you dwelling on your painful memories and giving into resentment? Have you given into your flesh rather  than standing firm in faith?

When you nurse your painful memories you get stuck in the pain and in the past. You are losing the battle for your heart and mind. Nursing your painful memories causes anger and anxiety to take control of your mind. You enjoy the sympathy and attention you get from others as you remain in your perpetual victimhood.

Are you stuck in suffering mode? Are you enjoying the sympathy and attention that playing the victim brings you?

If any or all of these are true for you, you are losing in the battlefield of the mind. You are remembering the wrong things and not remembering the right things! You need to reverse your remembering!

May 21, 2015

“Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish. In your love you kept me from the pit of destruction; you have put all my sins behind your back.” Isaiah 38:17

One of the things that being involved in competitive sports taught me is how to put my mistakes behind me quickly.

If I got fooled on a pitch and missed the ball by a mile, I had to put it out of my mind and get ready for the next pitch.

If I missed a wide open lay-in in basketball I would hear the fans groan and the coach would shake his head and I knew I had let my teammates down, but I had to put it out of my mind and hustle back on defense.

If I let a pitch get past me when I was playing catcher and a runner advanced a base, I had to chase down the ball, get it back to my pitcher and get ready for the next pitch.

If I missed the first of two free throws I had to put it out of my mind and concentrate on the second one.

Indiana Wesleyan University lost its very first collegiate soccer game because of a hands penalty on me. That was a long ride home. But the next day I was back at practice working to get better

When I miss the green after I have hit a perfect drive in the fairway, it is aggravating but I have to put it out of my mind and focus on hitting the next shot.

I hated when I swung and missed and when I made an error or missed an easy shot or committed a dumb penalty, but I had a determination not to let one mistake beat me twice.

I have not forgotten the errors and mistakes I made playing ball. If I sat down and thought about it hard enough I could probably remember most of them. But I made a conscious decision not to be defeated or defined by my worst moments. I put them “behind my back”.

Those experiences have helped me understand this great truth about the mercy and grace and goodness of God in Jesus Christ! He Who knows everything always has chosen to not remember my sins against me, to put them behind His back so that I don’t have to be defeated or defined by my sin!

To me, it makes God’s mercy and grace more meaningful. And it makes the sacrifice of Christ more powerful to know He COULD remember but chooses not to because of what Jesus did! Think about that! Which takes more grace forgetting something or remembering it and choosing to extend grace and mercy instead of justice?

If you have ever been told to just forget something bad that you did or something hurtful that happened to you, that is well-meaning advice but it is also unrealistic. Don’t feel bad guilty because you can’t forget. You don’t forget, you forgive and you decide not to focus on it. You can choose to “put it behind your back”. You should refuse to allow yourself to be defeated or defined by your past.

When your infinite, Holy, omniscient God chooses not to remember your sins against you but rather graces you with pardon and forgiveness in Christ – who do you think you are to dwell in your pain and failure from the past?

May 20, 2015

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things. What ever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me--put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:4-9

The greatest power God has given us is the power to choose!

In the context of this Scripture we have the power to choose our attitude. Attitude is the result of what we choose to believe about what we believe. Attitude is how we choose to perceive the events that unfold in our daily living. Attitude is adjusting to life as though you believe God is in charge!

You, and you alone are responsible for your attitude! You have the power to choose!

Rejoicing is a choice! Choose it!

Gentleness is a choice! Choose it!

Thanksgiving is a choice! Choose it!

Peace is a choice! Choose it!

Excellence is a choice! Choose it!

Obedience is a choice! Choose it!

If you are defeated or discouraged it is because you have chosen to be. You can chance your attitude and change your anxiety level!

Why not use the greatest power God invested in you – the power to choose!

In anticipation of the Memorial Day weekend, one of the keys to a good attitude is choosing what to remember and what to not remember.

Notice I didn’t say I didn’t say choosing to remember and choosing to forget. I put it that way because we never forget, we just choose how will we will remember.

Now, this very morning, is a great time for an attitude adjustment!

May 19, 2015

“For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more." Hebrews 8:12

Then he adds: "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more." Hebrews 10:17

"I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.” Isaiah 43:25

Think about this!

An eternal, infinite, omniscient God Who has perfect knowledge of everything always has chosen to not remember your sins once you receive forgiveness through His Son!

How amazing is that?

How amazing is He?

It is important to notice that God doesn’t forget He just chooses not to remember them against you no more. In other words, He forgives you. He chooses not to hold your sins against you once you have asked for forgiveness.

He looks at your sins through the grace of Jesus and no longer hold them against you!

God has the power to remember and He also has the power to remember not!

So do you!

You can make good memories and enjoy recalling them for the rest of your life! That is a gift God has given you!

You can also choose to not remember the hurtful or painful experiences! That, too, is a gift!

As you move closer to this Memorial Day week end, remember that a God Who cannot forget has chosen not to remember your sins against you.

Remember that if He no longer remembers them against you, neither should you remember them!

Remember that He can help you remember to not remember the sins of others against them no more.

Don’t forget how good and gracious God is!