The One Thing You Need to be Happy
Africa, The Domincan Republic, El Salvador, the Philippines, Baja California. I've visited each of those countries as a college student. What do they all have in common? In each of those countries you find the same kind of people: People who are hurt and longing to experience God's forgiveness and peace. Hands down, I've met them in every one of those countries. Now a more important question: Have you experienced peace and God's forgiveness today? ... You can ... it's easy ... In fact, God is inviting you to experience His Love and Forgiveness today. Our greatest need in our life today is knowing that we have a mediator (intercessor) and that God provides us with Forgiveness and peace free of charge. God can graciously offer us peace because He has already made provision and paid the cost to grant us forgiveness as a free gift. There are a few landmines and obstacles that will keep you from receiving God's love, forgiveness, and peace today. Be on the prowl as you zero-in on God's gifts today.
The Greatest Obstacle to Experiencing God's Forgiveness and Peace
There are many obstacles and hindrances to experiencing God's forgiveness and peace. Your past, your present, or failure to forgive yourself for some wrong act you did in your life can all be great factors. In order to receive God's forgiveness and peace, you need to learn to forgive yourself for your past no matter how dark or tragic it might be. The saying is true after all, "God forgives those who can forgive themselves." While it may not be wise to try and forget your past, you do need to let go of your past, your perpetrators, antagonists, and the pain and hurt associated with this. By holding on to your past and living/reliving your pain each day you are inflicting emotional and sometimes even psychological trauma to your present life. Not forgiving your enemies who have harmed you in past, and holding on to the pain and hurt each new day, is like taking poison each new day in the hopes that it will cause your enemies pain. The sad truth is that only one who are hurting and inflicting pain and trauma is yourself. Let go of your past, learn to trust God to rearrange your present life and circumstances, and be willing to forgive your enemies without forgetting your past. In other words, learn to forgive, but do not forget! ... If you forgive and forget, you will find yourself in the same situation again all over.
For people of faith and spirituality, there is a Giant that also lingers in the horizon of our forgiveness and peace. This nemesis is especially fond of tripping, knocking, and destroying those who come to believe and behave as though "They are good, okay, and fine, based on their behavior and external attainment." This is the trap known as legalism. It's a religion that says, "If I behave properly and follow the rules, why God has to give me eternal life. Why, He owed it to me." The sad truth is that Legalism has destroyed many a person of faith and spirituality by stealing the joy and peace that come from loving and following God "because He first loved us."
Martin Webber, author of sda4me.com and Who's Got the Truth?, writes:
"Some of the most depressing, faith-destroying fallacies in the history of Christianity have infiltrated the Adventist Church through misunderstanding the sanctuary and the judgment. I remember as a child being threatened week after week in church and day after day in church school. The goal was good behavior, motivated by an incessant bombardment of guilt and fear: "Unless you become absolutely perfect in character, you cannot be saved when Jesus comes. Even now your name might have come up in judgment, and you might already be past the close of probation." Several classmates were convinced that their probation was past and they had committed the unpardonable sin. "What's the use even trying," they would lament. So they gave up hope and gave up God. More than 20 years later most of them are out of the church. Thanks to legalism. What a shame."
(http://www.scribd.com/doc/17458840/Desmond-Ford-Section-I-Webers-analysis-of-Fords-Theology)
Our Only Hope is the Gospel of Christ
If
Legalism is the great pretender that steals the joy and forgiveness out
of a relationship with Christ, then the opposite must be true: Only A
Religion of Grace and Gratitude can experience joy and forgiveness each
day. After all, "Religion is Grace, and Ethics is Gratitude." Grace
means that it is a gift that can not be earned or merited. It is a free
gift without any strings attached. That is the kind of religion and
spirituality that Christ invites us to have. Coming to Jesus just as we
are with all of our sins and failings, and allowing Him to clean up our
life. In fact, when we surrender our lives to him in faith and are
baptized, Jesus places a sign on the door of our heart that says,
"Transformation in progress. Do not disturb or impede." Transformation
is in progress but perfection is completed. We are perfect in Christ the
moment we believe and receive the free gift of salvation and eternal
life. What is the free gift of eternal life? Jesus Christ is salvation
and eternal life. Once we accept Jesus and enter into a life of faith
and trust in Him, then we begin to live a life of gratitude for all that
Jesus has done for us. We begin to observe the Law of Liberty, God's
commandments. His commandments are not burdensome, but instead becomes
God's fences for the free! God's commands do not restrict our liberty,
but instead help us to live within the confines of what will truly make
us happy, joyful, and full of peace. So how about it? Trade in the cheap
counterfeit of legalism for a religion of Grace and Gratitude and see
how little it will take for you to experience God's love, forgiveness,
and peace. That is an offer, too good to pass up!
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