Not Just Forgiven: Welcome

ALL – Psalm 68:1-18
ALL – Proverbs 24:1-2
OT – Isaiah 43:14-45:10
NT – Ephesians 3:1-21

Interesting passage for the day: Now we can come fearlessly right into God’s presence, assured of his glad welcome when we come with Christ and trust in him. – Galatians 3:12, The Living Bible

Thought: Have you ever done something so bad that the person you offended or hurt couldn’t forgive you?

Let’s not debate the word “couldn’t”. I’m not trying to get into the question of whether they actually could but wouldn’t, or whatever. I’m just asking whether you’ve ever had the experience of being unforgiven and totally shunned. Or perhaps you are the one who hasn’t forgiven someone. The reality is that some of our relationships can be totally destroyed because we can miss the mark so badly in what we do that we offend people in ways they can’t overlook. Ever.

Enter God. In contrast to even the best of men, He is holy and righteous and good. We sometimes give in to temptation; when Jesus walked the earth with us, He never gave in. We sometimes laugh at our sins; Jesus cried over the sins He encountered. When we get worn out, we stop aiming for what’s good; when Jesus was overwhelmed, He persevered. We may despise those who commit certain sins and crimes, but we know what it’s like to sin when we’re in a tough spot; in the toughest of spots, Jesus never sinned.

So if anyone should be able to forgive, just based on common experience, you’d think we could forgive one another. Our sins are not all the same, but we’ve all sinned. But do we forgive one another and welcome one another back into our embrace? Often, no. Instead, the God who hates sin and has never given in to its temptations for one moment, who has no desire to sin or understanding of a desire to sin (even though He understands what makes temptations so hard, having gone through them), the God who has spent eternity doing good and not evil—HE is the one who forgives! And He forgives so completely that “we can come fearlessly right into God’s presence, assured of his glad welcome when we come with Christ and trust in him.”

Question: Have you received the forgiveness and welcome of God? What keeps you from knowing the reality of this amazing mercy? What convinces you that God’s welcome for you is actually available?

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