Friday after the nineteenth Sunday after Trinity, 11/3/00

Matthew 9: 2 Some men brought to Him a paralytic, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven."

In the name of the One Who sees our faith, amen.

If Ed McMahon came to your house and told you that you won the big sweepstakes, but you didn't believe him, would it do you any good? If he put the check in your hands and you said, "This is worthless paper," would you be any richer? If the pastor stands in front of the congregation and tells you that your sins are forgiven and you don't believe that Jesus' sacrifice paid for sins, are you any less guilty?

Notice the contrast in these questions. On the one had you have an established fact, on the other hand you have unbelief that makes the fact useless. You can be the richest person in the world, but if you don't believe that you have money, you can't make use of your wealth. You are forgiven because of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, but if you don't believe it, your guilt remains.

If you ever doubt that Jesus' sacrifice was enough to pay for your sins, if there is any guilt about any secret sin that nags you, go back and read again the Gospels. Search in the psalms too, and see that Jesus is the promised one, the one who took away the sins of the world. Look around you and see if you are living in the world. Then know beyond any doubt that your sins are forgiven because Jesus, who is true God and true man, lived, died, and rose again so that you are forgiven along with the world that he came to save. Amen.

Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, Satan tries to convince us that many things are not sins that really are sins. Then, when we have sinned, he picks at our conscience and tries to convince us that our sins are too great to be forgiven. Lord Jesus, guard our faith so that we never doubt that you died for all of our sins. Give us the Holy Spirit so that we may stand before the Father as your innocent brothers and sisters, amen.

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