Daily Devotional

Today, as you read this short devotional, I would like to encourage you to center your thoughts around one of the central themes of Christianity…forgiveness.  It is our privilege each week to gather together for worship and to meet with our Lord as a congregation.  There is uniqueness about Christians gathering together because the Lord is there.  He indwells each of us individually and when we gather together the Lord wants us to experience His presence collectively and to have fellowship with us.  Fellowship means that we share something in common.  We have a common faith, a common love, and a common experience of knowing Christ as our Savior from our sin.

The Lord wants our fellowship to go beyond our human relationships.  He wants us to also have fellowship with Him.  How is it possible that we can have fellowship with a holy God?  Today we can have fellowship with the Lord because Jesus Christ died in our place for our sin and has given us His life.  We share His life (eternal life) in common.  In order for us to experience fellowship with the Lord, we need to understand God’s forgiveness.
 
 “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”  (1 John 1:7 NKJV)

Christ’s blood did not just cleanse our past sin, but is continually working in our life to cleanse us of any sin we might commit.  The Apostle John is reminding us that Christ’s sacrifice for our sin is just as affective today as it was 2000 years ago.  The blood of Jesus continually cleanses us from any sin we will commit today or any day in the future.    

“Cleanses us from all sin” is in the present tense meaning that Christ’s blood continually cleanses us from all sin.  The forgiveness we have is a continuing gift given to us by a merciful God.  “If we confess our sins, He (God) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins…” (1 John 1:9 NKJV)

I thank the Lord for the forgiveness of sins.  How many of you needed God’s forgiveness this past month…week…today?  I don’t know about you, but I need God’s forgiveness every day.  Without that forgiveness, past, present and future, I would be without hope and doomed to a Christless eternity.  It is beyond my complete understanding how God could forgive me and declare me righteous in His sight.  By His grace it is true.  He has abundantly shown His mercy to all of us.  Today let us focus on what the Lord has done for us in forgiving our sin so that we can walk in fellowship with Him and forgive those who sin against us.  Only as we experience forgiveness can we forgive others.

Prayer:  Lord, thank you that I am Your child and that you have made complete provision for all sin in my life.  Because you have forgiven me, I can extend that same forgiveness to others.  Thank you for your grace and mercy.  Amen

New King James Version (NKJV) Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.