God's Complete Forgiveness

Christ is the most influential figure in the history of the world, though his life ended in shame, humiliation and failure. But he so completely turned things round in his great reversal that the cross on which he died when everything seemed hopeless is now the most common and revered symbol in history.

He emerged from and was anchored in Judaism. And as the sins of the people were laid on the scapegoat who was sent into the wilderness to perish, Christ died as the lamb of God voluntarily bearing the guilt of the wrongdoing of the whole world, paying the price for our forgiveness with his life-blood--in accordance with the iron law of the physical and moral universe, of sowing and reaping, cause and effect. 

And so, God who appeared as flames of fire to Moses, can dwell within us, purifying us, whose hearts have darkness and shards of ice. 

And now, that Christ was crucified, died, but rose again, His Spirit, no longer contained within his earthly body, is poured out like living water onto all humans, at our request. The Spirit pours the love of God into us; he reminds us of the words of Jesus and slowly writes Christ’s sweet law on our hearts. This transfusion of grace helps us do hard things we previously couldn’t do. Our dance with the Spirit gradually breaks the power of sin over us. It transforms us.

Now we, the forgiven, protected by the blood of Jesus poured out over us, and filled with His Spirit, who sings within us, Abba, Father, are adopted by God as his children in his joyful new covenant. We are cells grafted into the vine of our new family--Father, Son, Spirit—who now live in us as we live in them. As we choose by our thoughts and actions to continue living in the vine of Jesus, their energy pulsing through us makes us fruitful. And now, all our prayers which flow in the river of God’s good purposes are kindly heard. Waves of love and power flood from the cross!  Thank you! 

My memoir:   Rosaries, Reading, Secrets: A Catholic Childhood in India UK   USA

Blog:          anitamathias.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anitamathiaswriter/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anita.mathias/
Twitter : anitamathias1
My book of essays: Wandering Between Two Worlds (US) and UK

Transcript

The Complete Forgiveness of Sins

The night before Christ was unjustly killed, he gave an

inexhaustible inheritance to his friends, and to all who’d 

later believe in him--his words, his Spirit. Himself.  “Drink 

from it, all of you,” he said, giving them symbolic wine. 

“This is my blood poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”  

God, “the judge of all the earth,” Scripture calls him, 

appeared to Moses as flames of fire. But our hearts have

darkness too, and ice. God’s fire would consume us. 

For the iron law of the physical or moral universe is 

Sowing and reaping. The poisoned seeds we sow become

a dark, barren forest, blocking out God’s life-giving light. 

But Christ says, “Father, forgive them. I like them, so in 

your just cosmic court in which dark deeds have eternal 

ripples, I will be the infinite lamb slain, to atone for and 

bear the consequences of their wilful failures. Let my shed

blood wash away the guilt of every sin, past and future, of 

all who put their faith in me and surrender to me as Lord 

of their lives. As they kneel in repentance at my cross, let 

them step into its perpetual waterfall of cleansing and power. 

And now, Father, accept these believers, covered by my blood, 

as your children, just as you accept me.” And God does so.

And now, that Christ was crucified, died, but rose again, 

His Spirit, no longer contained within his earthly body, is

poured out like living water onto all humans, at our request. 

The Spirit pours the love of God into us as he reminds us 

of the words of Jesus, and slowly writes Christ’s sweet law

on our hearts. This transfusion of grace helps us do hard

things we previously couldn’t do. Our dance with the Spirit

gradually breaks the power of sin over us; it transforms us.

Now we, the forgiven, protected by the blood of Jesus 

poured out over us, and filled with His Spirit, who sings 

within us, Abba, Father, are adopted by God as his children

in his joyful new covenant. We are cells grafted into the vine 

of our new family--Father, Son, Spirit—who now live in us

as we live in them. As we choose by our thoughts and actions

to continue living in the vine of Jesus, their energy pulsing 

through us makes us fruitful. And now, all our prayers which 

flow in the river of God’s good purposes are kindly heard. 

Waves of love and power flood from the cross. Thank you!