THE STORY OF JESUS: Luke 24:44-49
“Forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations.” (Luke 24:47)
The root word for ‘forgiveness’ means being released or delivered.
In my experience, most christians think about being forgiven of our guilt.
What about the idea that we have been set free from Satan, sin and death.
One almost gets the impression that Jesus is our insurance for sinning.
The message our world is not just forgiveness of guilt, we need freedom from sin.
We need to know the power of His resurrection new life in us.
That power gives us the hope and strength to resist sin, and live new lives.
We are not just forgiven sinners, we are renewed saints, filled with the Spirit.
The Spirit of Jesus in me actually helps me to change the way I live.
This is a message our world needs, as we struggle in the grip of Satan, sin and death.
We can enter the battle each day equipped with spiritual armour, able to win!
We can resist the devil so that he flees from us, saying NO to sin and YES to goodness.
If we only preach forgiveness in the narrow sense, we leave people stuck in their sin.
Preach the WHOLE gospel: forgiveness, freedom and the fullness of the Spirit in us!
What do you sense the Lord saying to you?
PRAYER
Lord, in our struggle against sin, we need more than forgiveness. We need help to not sin. Help us to experience the WHOLE message of salvation, and to show and share that with others!