From the Sermon on the Mount to the Lord's Prayer to the cross itself, forgiveness is woven into the very fabric of what it means to follow Him.
That doesn't make it easy. The hardest assignments rarely are. But it does mean we don't get to skip this class. And here's the comfort: the same Christ who requires it is the one who supplies the strength to do it. You don't have to forgive in your own power. You can forgive from the well of how much you've been forgiven.
To follow Jesus means to imitate His life and teachings. To His followers it requires a commitment to spiritual growth and obedience to God's Word daily.
Denying oneself involves prioritizing God's will over personal desires. Eternal perspective over worldly things.
It is a daily commitment to live for Christ.
The cross isn't just where sin ends. It's where real living begins.
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." โ 2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV)
Whatever you're carrying today, whatever you've been told disqualifies you โ the cross is still the starting line. And it's never too late to begin.
The biggest threat to Christianity isn't atheism. It's fake Christianity.
A gospel with no repentance.
A faith with no obedience.
A church with no truth.
โYour worst days are never so bad that you are beyond the reach of God's grace. And your best days are never so good that you are beyond the need of God's grace.โ
-Jerry Bridges