Lightning fast read meant to make you think…
10 Mistakes People Make with Forgiveness (plus 1 bonus):
1. Think they don’t need forgiveness (like they have never sinned or there is no such thing as “sin”). (Romans 3:10, 23; 6:23; 10:9)
2. Forget they are to forgive others EVERY TIME they sin (are you holding a grudge?). (Matthew 18:21-22)
3. Don’t realize personal forgiveness is conditional (we MUST forgive others). (Matthew 6:14-15)
4. Overlook that Jesus wasn’t just asking God to forgive the Roman soldiers who were nailing Him to the cross when He said, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing”; He was asking God to forgive all of mankind (including me and you, too). (Luke 23:34).
5. Don’t understand there is really only one sin that cannot be forgiven: blasphemy of the Holy Spirit which equals unbelief (if you think you’ve committed the “unpardonable sin” you probably/likely haven’t). (Mark 3:29)
6. Overlook that to receive forgiveness a person must be committed to repentance, first (repentance is a commitment to not sin anymore). (Luke 3:3; 24:47; Acts 2:38; 5:31)
7. Think there is a way to be forgiven apart from belief in Jesus Christ (there is not). (Acts 10:43; Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:14)
8. Try to do good things and be nice to gain forgiveness (not possible). (Ephesians 2:8-9)
9. Miss that forgiveness can only be gained via a blood sacrifice (Hebrews 9:12, 22).
10. Think their sin is too great for a holy God to forgive (not true ~ come back home!). (Luke 15:11-24)
BONUS Believe in purgatory ~ where people go after they die to pay for their sins and eventually gain forgiveness and entry into heaven (no such place). (Hebrews 9:27)
(Rembrandt’s “The Return of the Prodigal Son” picture above is in the public domain: click here. PD-US)
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