“I believe in the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.”
94% of people say they feel guilt every single day.
82% feel guilty about things that weren’t even their fault.
55% of Americans say they can’t forgive themselves for something in their past.
And more than 60% of Christians say they feel spiritually guilty—like they’re always letting God down.
Romans 3:23
For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
Because “all” have sinned, “all” feel the weight of it–the guilt of it.
Sin is not a misstep—it is a millstone. You may think you’re walking with it. Managing it. Keeping it close but not letting it rule. But you’re not walking—you’re sinking. Sin never stays still. It grows. It twists. And like a stone around the neck, it pulls you deeper with every passing moment. — A.W. Tozer
Sin isn’t just failure—it’s rebellion.
1 John 3:4
Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.
"lawlessness" - anomia -willful defiance, rebellion,
Sin is lawlessness; that is, it is rebellion against a rightful authority. It is not merely a deviation from the moral path, but a revolt against God himself. — John Stott (The Cross of Christ)
Sin is essentially self-centeredness. Every sin is a form of self-assertion, the desire to be rid of God and live independently of him. It is a revolt against his authority, a rejection of his love, and the repudiation of his law. — John Stott (The Cross of Christ)
The bible calls this forgiveness grace.
Ephesians 1:7
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace.
Grace isn’t simply God letting us off the hook for sin.
Sin is always injustice against someone and the justice for it has to be paid.
Forgiveness without justice isn’t grace, it’s denial.
God doesn’t do denial!
God is perfect in love—and perfect in justice.
God’s love does not cancel His justice.
Romans 3:25
God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, 26 for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.
The cross wasn’t God compromising justice. It was God satisfying it.
Isaiah 53:5
He was pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed.
Jesus died as a substitute.
The cross was not just a moment of compassion—but the collision of justice and love.
How do we live into the forgiveness of God fully?
1. Simply Receive
Romans 4:5
To the one who does not work but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness.
2. Keep Confessing
1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Confession is about realignment.
homologeō —to say the same thing as someone else.
homologeō—The present, active voice—it’s not a one-time deal.
Isaiah 59:2
But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
Sin silences you, so God doesn’t hear you anymore.
So what do we do? We start talking—We confess.
“The resurrection of the body,”
The Christian hope is not that you’ll escape this world. It’s that God will renew it.
Romans 8:1
If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
“and the life everlasting. Amen.”
Life everlasting is not just about duration.
John 17:3
Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.
1. Stop Carrying What Jesus Already Paid For
Galatians 5:1
For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
2. Forgive as You’ve Been Forgiven
Unforgiveness is spiritual amnesia. — Charles Spurgeon
Ephesians 4:32
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
3. Live for What Lasts
2 Corinthians 4:18
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.