DIG for Sunday the 20th of August…..it is not about our actions, again…..Luke 23 v 34

As you probably know by now I am a great believer in our unconditional forgiveness from God.

My understanding of Scripture is that we are all forgiven for all sin already through the shed blood of Jesus (Ephesians 1 v 7 and Colossians 1 v 14).

Forgiveness is nothing to do with us; we do not need to ask for forgiveness or repent of our sin in order to be forgiven.

Forgiveness is absolute and unconditional and was granted as a gift of grace by the Lord through the actions of Jesus.

In church this morning a brother spoke about another verse that highlighted this truth for me.

The verse was Luke 23 v 34, where Jesus asked the Father to forgive His persecutors, saying, “they know not what they do”.

He asked the Father to forgive them irrespective of their actions.

He asked the Father to forgive the very men who were putting Him to death.

If we believe much of what is said in church these days Jesus should have said this, “Father forgiven them if they change their ways and ask You for forgiveness”.

This shows us that forgiveness is a gift from the Father because of Jesus, and that forgiveness has nothing to do with our actions.

All the forgiveness that was ever needed flowed at the cross at the same time as the blood of Jesus flowed.

Forgiveness is a gift, you just need to believe this, receive it and thank Him for it!

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord that I have complete, absolute and unconditional forgiveness from because of the shed blood of Jesus”.

Luke 23 v 34…..Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. Ad they parted his raiment, and cast lots

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DIG for Saturday the 19th of August…..righteousness is a gift of grace through faith…..2 Corinthians 5 v 21

All of us know that there is nothing we can personally do through works and deeds to save ourselves.

We know our salvation is received as a gift of grace through faith in Jesus and His finished work.

As soon as we are born again we are made righteous (2 Corinthians 5 v 21).

So there is also nothing we can do through works and deeds to make ourselves righteous.

It also holds therefore that there is nothing we can do through bad works and deeds (in other words sin) to remove that righteousness or reduce it.

In the eyes of God a man is either righteous or he is not.

Whether we are righteous or not has all to do with what a man believes with regard to Jesus; it has nothing to do with actions.

You cannot make your self more or less righteous; you are made righteous as a gift of grace through faith.

You cannot ‘sin away’ your right standing with God just as you cannot work your way into right standing.

Righteousness, or right standing with God, has absolutely nothing to do with your works, deeds or actions.

Righteousness is a state of being rather than a state of doing, and is dependant upon what you believe about Jesus and His finished work.

Any man can be made righteous through faith because of what Jesus has already done!

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord that I have been made righteous as a gift of grace through faith in Jesus”.

2 Corinthians 5 v 21…..For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him