THE GOD OF ANOTHER CHANCE

PROCLAMATION

“Meanwhile a prophet came to Ahab king of Israel and announced, ‘This is what The Lord says: ‘Do you see this vast army?  I will give it into your hand today, and then you will know that I am The Lord.’”  1 Kings 20:13 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

Ahab, king of the ten northern tribes of Israel, did even more evil in the eyes of The Lord than all of those before him, and his wife, Jezebel, who worshiped Baal, was just about as bad as he was, if not worse. (1 Kings 16:29-31)  However, after Elijah challenged their god Baal with the public sacrifices, he prayed to The Lord so that the people would know that The Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel was the only true God. (1 Kings 18:36-37) Baal was unresponsive but The Lord God sent down fire from above and consumed the sacrifice.  Ahab left the sacrifice and went home to Jezebel.  The Bible does not say that he became a believer, but  afterwards The Lord was with him in his battles against Ben-Hadad. (1 Kings 20:1-21 and 22-30)  After defeating Ben-Hadad, Ahab was disobedient and did not kill him.  Instead he made a treaty with him and let him go. (1 Kings 20:34)  This displeased The Lord God. (1 Kings 20:42)

APPLICATION

We may sin differently but all of us have sinned. (Romans 3:23)  There is no such thing as a big sin or a little sin, all sin is sin.  Committing only one sin still makes us a sinner. (James 2:10)  Jesus, The Christ, paid the price for the sins of the world. (John 1:29)  Believers still sin, but when we pray and ask for forgiveness, our sins are forgiven. (Romans 10:9-10)  There is no sin that is so egregious that it cannot be forgiven.  The Lord God gives us another chance to live right and to do right.  It is said that He is the God of “another chance” because we all used up our “second chance” a long time ago.  We need to pray for, and to thank Him for, one more chance.

NEW HEART AND SPIRIT IN THE NEW YEAR

Proclamation:

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you …”  Ezekiel 36:26 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words came to the prophet Ezekiel as a prophecy from The Lord and were recorded by him under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  The people of God had sinned, been conquered, and scattered.  Ezekiel was told to tell the people that God said He would bring them back together and cleanse them from their impurities. (Ezekiel 36:24-25)  God was going to replace their hard hearts and give them new ones.

Application:

If we want things to be better for us in 2017 than they were in 2016, then we need to do things differently in the New Year than we did in this year.  We cannot expect to get different results if we keep doing the same things that we did in the past.  Yet we still insist upon doing things our way.  Just like the children of Israel, we have not kept all of His statutes and commandments.   We are not supposed to act like the worldly people which are around us.  We are in this world but not of it. (John 8:23 and 18:36)  We are different, we have been set apart and we should act like it. (Leviticus 20:26)  When we accepted Christ as our personal savior, we became new creatures. (2 Corinthians 5:17)  We need to ask God to forgive us, cleanse us and to put a new heart and a new spirit in us, or to renew His Spirit within us, so that we may be more Christ-like in the New Year.  The more obedient we are to His Holy Word in the future, the more we will be blessed (Deuteronomy 28:1-14) and the better things will be for us in 2017.

ONCE WE'RE FORGIVEN THE LORD WON'T REMEMBER OUR SINS

Proclamation:

"But when This Priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God.  Since that time He waits for His enemies to be made His footstool, because by one sacrifice He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.  The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this.  First He says: 'This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says The Lord.  I will put My laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.'  Then He adds: 'Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.'"  Hebrews 10:12-17 (NIV)

Explanation:

The unknown author of the Book of Hebrews was written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God to the scattered people of God after the crucifixion of Jesus, The Christ.  The author clearly stated that Jesus sacrificed Himself once for the sins of all.  Now He is in heaven, seated at the right hand of God, The Father.  His sacrifice paid the price for those who were being credited with righteousness.  Once they believed, He put His Word in their hearts and on their minds.  Then The Lord God said that He would no longer remember their sins.

Application:

Today, we need to know that Christ died on the cross for our sins.  The moment that we believed, we were forgiven and declared righteous.  The Holy Spirit of God entered each of us to bring to our remembrance The Word of God and all that Jesus taught us. (John 14:26)  When we choose to follow Him, our past sins are forgiven.  We still remember our past sins because the devil reminds us of them as part of his scheme to separate us from the love of God by having us think that we are not worthy.  The Lord has forgiven us, (Hebrews 8:12) and we need to learn to forgive ourselves.  We no longer have to beat ourselves up for our past sinful mistakes and indiscretions.  We are now new creatures. (2 Corinthians 5:17)  We are not perfect but thank God, we are not who we used to be.  As we daily strive to be more Christ-like, we continue to confess our sins and ask to be forgiven knowing that we are not as good today as we are going to be. For we know that He who began a good work in us will complete it. (Philippians 1:6)

WE ARE BLESSED

Proclamation:

"Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.  Blessed is the one whose sin The Lord does not count against them, and in whose spirit there is no deceit." Psalms 32:1-2

Explanation:

This psalm was written by King David under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  David knew that he was a sinner and he frequently prayed and asked God to forgive him of his sins.  He knew that he was blessed because God had forgiven him for all of his sins and transgressions.

Applications:

We often think of blessings as something tangible, like wealth or possessions.  Some of the best blessings we can receive are good health, a long life, and happiness, along with the protection from dangers seen and unseen.  However, it is my opinion that the greatest blessing of all is the forgiveness of our sins.  We are blessed!  All of our "... transgressions ... sins ... iniquities ...", and our rebellion against the will of God, our failure to live up to His Word and keep His commandments, and the perversions of our fleshly desires, were all forgiven by the death of Jesus on the cross.  If we confess our sins and iniquities and ask to be forgiven, then they are not charged to our account. (1 John 1:9)  We are covered by the blood of Jesus.  All of our sins, shortcomings, and our deceitful tendencies and thoughts are forgiven.  That is truly a blessing.

ONE MORE CHANCE

Proclamation:

"You forgave the iniquity of Your people and covered all their sins.  You set aside all Your wrath and turned from Your fierce anger.  Restore us again, O God our Savior, and put away Your displeasure toward us."  Psalms 85:2-4 (NIV)

Explanation:

This psalm was written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by the sons of Korah.  They recorded the fact that God has forgiven His people in the past, and they were praying that God would forgive them again.  They recognized that they had sinned and sinned again, and they were asking God to restore them to His good graces.  

Application:

Today we recognize that we have all messed up and sinned against God. (Psalm 51:4)  We realize that we have sinned in the past and we know that The Bible teaches us that if we confess our sins that He will forgive us. (1 John 1:9)  Our problem is that we have sinned again and now we need to ask God for forgiveness again.  We need one more chance.  We are not asking for a second chance, we messed that one up a long time ago.  We need His forgiveness, and we need another chance.  We also need to pray for His help and His guidance in order to sin less and to do the right thing.  This is especially true for any sin which we commit repeatedly.  We need His help to turn from our sinful ways. (2 Chronicles 7:14)  Only He can restore us to His good graces and return us to a right fellowship with Him.  Only He can restore to us the joy of our salvation. (Psalm 51:12) 

Once Forgiven Christ Won't Remember Our Sins

"But when This Priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God.  Since that time He waits for His enemies to be made His footstool, because by one sacrifice He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.  The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this.  First He says: 'This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says The Lord.  I will put My laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.'  Then He adds: 'Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.' "  Hebrews 10:12-16 (NIV)

This unknown author of the Book of Hebrews clearly stated to the scattered people of God that Jesus sacrificed Himself once and for the sins of all, and that He is now in heaven, seated at the right hand of God, The Father.  His sacrifice paid the price for those who were being imputed with righteousness.  Once they believed, He put His Word in their hearts and on their minds.  Then he said that He would no longer remember their sins.

Today, we need to know that Christ died on the cross for our sins.  Once we believe, we are forgiven and declared righteous.  The Holy Spirit of God has entered us to bring to our remembrance The Word of God and all that Jesus taught us. (John 14:26)  When we choose to follow Him, our past sins are forgiven.  Christ has forgiven us, so we no longer have to beat ourselves up for our past sinful mistakes and indiscretions.  We are now new creatures. (2 Corinthians 5:17)  Thank God, we are not who we used to be.  As we daily strive to be more Christ-like, we are not as good today as we are going to be. 

Forgive And Be Forgiven

"For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."  Matthew 6:14-15 (NIV)

The Apostle Matthew recorded the words of Jesus as He taught His disciples about forgiveness.  Jesus, The Christ, said that if they forgave those who sinned against them, then God would forgive them of their sins.  However, if they did not forgive others of their sins, then God would not forgive them of their sins.

Jesus said that we must forgive others of their sins against us in order for us to be forgiven of our sins. (Mark 11:26)  Even if someone sins against us more than once in a day, we must forgive them each time. (Matthew 18:21-22)  If some one sins against us and repents, we are to forgive him. (Luke  17:3)  To forgive is to be Christ-like.  From the cross Christ forgave those who crucified Him. (Luke 23:34)  We need to be more forgiving in order to be more Christ-like, and we need to pray for God's help to do that.

Blessed And Forgiven

"Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.  Blessed is the man whose sin The LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit."  Psalms 32:1-2 (NIV)

In this psalm King David clearly states that believers are forgiven of their sins and they are blessed. 

Because the sins of believers are covered by the blood of Jesus, they are not counted against us.  Being forgiven of our sins is probably the most important blessing that a believer can receive.  The Bible says that all of us have sinned. (Romans 3:23)  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us of all of our unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)  This, however, only applies to those who believe and follow Jesus, The Christ.

We Are Blessed Chosen Predestined And Special

"Praise be to The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will; to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in The One He loves. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. And He made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment ..." Ephesians 1:3-10 (NIV)

In this letter from the Apostle Paul to the Christians in Ephesus, who he had never met but he had heard of the demonstrations of their faith, he tells them that the saints of God are special. They are blessed, chosen, and predestined by God, according to His will, to receive His glorious grace through Jesus Christ.

As believers in Christ we are also special. We are blessed in more ways than we can count, we
have been redeemed, our sins have been forgiven, we have been given wisdom, knowledge, and understanding, and our heavenly Father has even more good things are in store for us when the fullness of time has come.

Ask And You Will Receive It If You Believe It

Jesus said, "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins." Mark 11:24-25 (NIV)

When you pray and ask for something, you must believe that you have already received it. This was one of the lessons that Jesus taught His disciples during the week prior to His crucifixion.

When we ask for something that gives God glory, we will receive it if we believe it. But don't ask for anything while you are harboring ill will against your brother because of a wrong done to you.

We Must Forgive To Be Forgiven

"Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors ... For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." Matthew 6:12-15 (NIV)

While teaching His disciples how to pray, Jesus explains that they must forgive those who have sinned against them in order to be forgiven of their own sins.

We all have sinned and need to ask God for His forgiveness. In the model prayer, we ask our heavenly Father to "forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors." When we ask for forgiveness, we will only be forgiven as we are willing to forgive others. Jesus makes it clear that if we do not forgive others of their sins, then our heavenly Father will not forgive us of our sins. (Mark 11:25 & Luke 11:4) So, forgive, and be forgiven.

Blessed And Forgiven

"Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin The Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit." Psalms 32:1-2 (NIV)

King David knew that a man was blessed if God has forgiven him or his sins. He also knew that when God forgives a man of his sins, the sins that he has committed will never count against him.

Believers know that the Bible states that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9) Jesus died for our sins and it is by His blood that our sins are covered. When God looks at believers, He sees the blood of Jesus and not our sin sick souls. We are blessed because our sins are forgiven and not held against us thanks to Jesus, The Christ.

Blessed From This Day On

"Now give careful thought to this from this day on ... From this day on I will bless you." Haggai 2:15 & 19 (NIV)

The prophet Haggai told the people to "consider your ways" (1:5 & 7), their selfish indulgence, and the people heard him and responded with repentance and obedience. Because of their obedience that The Lord said for them to carefully consider their situation, and from that day forward He would bless them.

As we age from one day, or year, to the next, it is a good idea for us to consider carefully where we are and where we stand. God has forgiven us of our past sins and has said if we will be obedient, He will bless us from this day on. As we look back over our lives, each day, month, year, and decade, we need to give consideration to the choices that we have made and what He has brought us through. We should thank Him for His goodness, His mercy, and His grace, and for His willingness to bless us from this day forward.

Caught In The Act

"The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, 'Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?' They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing Him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with His finger. When they kept on questioning Him, He straightened up and said to them, 'If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.' Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there." John 8:1-11 (NIV)

When the woman that was caught in the act of adultery was brought before Him, Jesus said let the one among them who was without sin throw the first stone at her. No one knows what Jesus wrote in the dirt when He bent down. Jesus did not condemn the woman, but it is possible that the men were convicted by what He wrote in the dirt.

Be careful when you set out to trick someone, you may end up being the one that is embarrassed. Jesus taught them and us that we should not be so quick to condemn. Before we condemn others, we should take a look at ourselves. When you live in a glass house, you should not throw stones at others. Don't focus on the sins of others, deal with your own sins.