John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
(Mark 1.4 NRSV)

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"Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love..." It does no good for us to confess our sins if we keep beating up on ourselves. This may be the chief reason why so many people fail to truly repent and begin new lives. They never experience the absolution of God. An old Scottish clergyman once said that the devil has two lies he uses at two different stages. Before we commit a sin, he tells us that one little sin doesn't matterno one will know. The second lie is after we've sinned when he tells us we're hopeless.

Max Lucado puts the meaning of forgiveness quite succinctly. "God wants you to fly. He wants you to fly free of yesterday's guilt. He wants you to fly free of today's fears. He wants you to fly free of tomorrow's grave. Sin, fear, and death. These are the mountains he has moved. These are the prayers he will answer. That is the fruit he will grant. This is what he longs to do: he longs to set you free so you can fly . . . home."

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Dear God, thanks for your forgiveness. Amen.

Ron Newhouse

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