Your sins can be forgiven

Have you ever felt so bad about your sin you got discouraged or depressed over it? So weighted down by your failures and shortcomings that you were depressed and downcast? Ever experience a consequence of sin that hindered your daily life? If so, you know how the paralyzed man in Matthew 9:1-8 felt.

I doubt that there was a more comforting sentence the paralyzed man could have heard from Jesus than the words "Take courage, My son, your sins are forgiven." This man, most likely tormented by his failure and the consequences of his sin, had the debt of sins released by the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world" (Luke 1:29). Truly Jesus is the one who would "save His people from their sins" (Matt. 1:21).

Jesus says to him, "take courage", in essence pointing to the cross and saying in a matter of speaking, "don't continue to think of yourself in terms of your sins because God is no longer going to relate to you on the basis of that sin, but on the basis of My soon-to-be-shed blood. There will be blood to cover your sins and it will be Mine. So be of good courage, I have overcome the world. And I will overcome your sin."

Beautiful words. Everyone needs forgiveness. Everyone needs a Savior. The problem of forgiveness is that it is unattainable on our won. The nature of forgiveness is that God freely gives it to those who trust Him humbly by faith. Everything we suffer is indirectly due to sin, though everything we suffer is not directly caused by our sin. God knows what He is doing and why He allows what He allows. Trust Him to do what is right.

We humans have a tendency to go to one of two self-centered extremes. We either think "How dare you call me a sinner, judge me, not allow me to make up my own version of reality." This person is their own functional lord. They are in control. The other extreme is to say "How could you love someone like me, forgive such a huge debt of sin." This person is their own functional savior. They think they are too bad for God to save. Both are prideful. But need to humble themselves before God.

If you belong to God by grace alone, through faith in Christ alone, then take Him at His Word.

Believe Him by faith - strong encouragement to press on through the discouragement often brought on by sin.

Rest in His love - recognize His ownership over your life and that you belong to Him and don;t try to hide your sin from Him.

Cling to the hope you have in Him - which is an anchor for soul (Heb. 6:19). Your standing with God depends on His faithfulness not yours.