Experiencing God’s Love and Forgiveness, Part 1

Relationship and Fellowship with God
Your relationship with God is secure because, through Christ, you are forgiven and accepted by God.

In addition to providing this secure relationship, God also desires for you to walk closely with Him and communicate with Him throughout each day. This is called fellowship.

When we choose to sin, our relationship (our position as God’s children) is not affected, but our fellowship is interrupted.

Relationship with God:

Began when you
received Christ
(John 1:12)
Is everlasting
(1 Peter 1:3, 4)
Maintained by God
(John 10:27-29)
Never changes
(Hebrews 13:5)
Fellowship with God:

Began when you
received Christ
(Colossians 2:6)
Can be hindered
(Psalm 32:3-5)
Maintained in part by us
(1 John 1:9)
Changes when we sin
(Psalm 66:18)
How can you consistently experience fellowship with God?

Need for God’s Love and Forgiveness
Sin is a barrier for both Christians and non-Christians. Sin keeps us all from experiencing God’s love. But many people are confused by what sin is and what it is not.

What is sin? It’s more than cheating, lying, immoral behavior, etc. These actions are only the results of an attitude of sin. A simple definition of sin is: doing what we want instead of what God wants – both in actions and attitudes.

What are the results of sin? For non-Christians, sin prohibits a relationship with God (Romans 3:23). Unbelievers who try to live good, moral lives are still separated from God.  For Christians, sin inhibits fellowship with God. (1 John 1:6-8)

All of us sin. Therefore, you and I both need to experience God’s forgiveness for our attitudes and actions.

The Basis for God’s Love and Forgiveness
Christ’s death is the basis for forgiveness to bring us into a proper relationship with God. (1 Peter 3:18)

Christ’s death is also the basis for forgiveness in our daily fellowship with God. (Colossians 2:13, 14)

In the day when this was written, “list of sins” meant an itemized bond nailed to the prison cell door. It listed every crime for which the prisoner had been convicted. When the sentence was served or restitution paid, the authorities removed the list and wrote “paid in full.” The prisoner used this as proof that he could never be tried for those crimes again. The believer who trusts Christ’s payment for sin can never be tried again. You have full pardon from God.

What difference will it make in your daily life to know you are totally forgiven?

Assurance of Salvation

You can know you have a secure personal relationship with God.
You can be confident in your new relationship with Christ because you have been completely forgiven and accepted by God. Only Christ’s death on the cross is sufficient to provide this proper relationship with God.

Three important words in Ephesians 2:8-9 explain the basis of our acceptance before God.
GRACE: Unmerited favor, an underserved gift

You didn’t deserve this relationship nor did you earn it by any good works. Rather it is a free gift from God that you accepted when you received Christ.

SAVED: Rescued, spared from disaster

Romans 6:23 says that the final result of sin is death. When you received Christ’s death on the cross as a payment for your sins, you were rescued from eternal condemnation … from having to pay the penalty for your own sin.

FAITH: Belief, trust, commitment of mind, attitude, action

Simply put, faith is believing or trusting God and His Word. When you received Christ, you put your trust in Christ and His death for your sin. Instead of believing in your own ability to earn God’s favor, you now trust that you have been reconciled to God through what Christ has done for you.

Understanding truths about your new relationship with Christ
Christ forgave your sin. (Colossians 1:13, 14) When you trusted in Christ for the forgiveness of your sin, all your sins were forgiven … past, present, and future. What difference do you think it makes to know your sin is forgiven?

Christ made you a child of God. (John 1:12) When you received Christ, you began a loving relationship with God. Christ came into your life and He will never leave you.

Christ came into your life and He will never leave you. (Hebrews 13:5) Under what circumstances might Christ leave you? According to this, how many times it is necessary to receive Christ?

Christ gave you a new life. (2 Corinthians 5:17) When you trusted Christ to be your Savior and Lord, you began a new spiritual life. God will increasingly produce many new qualities in you as you grow in Him.

Christ gave you eternal life. (1 John 5:11-13) Eternal life is based on Jesus Christ. Eternal life for a person begins when he has Christ in his life. 

These wonderful benefits are based totally on Jesus Christ. None of them can be earned. You received them the moment you placed your faith in Christ.

Since you have …

trusted in Christ’s payment for your sin,
understood the basis of your new relationship with

God, and
looked at five truths about your new relationship

with God,
you can be confident in your new relationship with Christ.

Why don’t we always experience assurance in our personal relationship with God? What is one action you can take to begin to feel more assured?

Day 5: Read Philippians Chapter 3

As Christians, we are children of the King. If we truly believe that our citizenship is in heaven, the importance and intensity of struggles in this life start to lose their power over us. As we come to expect conflict and problems, we can shift our focus to the end goal of a stronger relationship with our Creator, knowing that He has it all under His control and is interceding on our behalf. Philippians 3 tells us to press on, forget what is behind and look to the future. Our goal is to win the prize of eternity in heaven with Jesus Christ. He is our future, and all eyes, thoughts, and actions should be on him.

That prize is an eternal relationship with our royal King of Kings and Lord of Lords in heaven. We are his children and will reign with him. Our daily thoughts should not all be self-centered and focused on our struggles. It then says in Philippians 3 that this earth is not our home and that our citizenship is in heaven. Jesus is the source of our Peace and joy, not our external circumstances. Let’s stay plugged into the true power source of peace and joy.

As the word says in Philippians 3, let us forget what is behind, not dwell on the challenging circumstances and move towards our future, an eternity in heaven. We have a beautiful and divine-appointed future in heaven and should focus our thoughts and actions on that.

Spending extra time reading the word, worshiping, and praying will build a stronger relationship with the Lord. Even if you are busy, make time. It’s great if your quiet time with God is spontaneous, but a regularly scheduled time daily is also helpful. You can schedule it and add it to your calendar if needed. Daily time with the Lord will increase your joy, give you his perspective on life’s struggles and strengthen your relationship. This is a practical way to find joy in Christ today, regardless of your circumstances.

Day 4: Read Galatians Chapter 5

Serving others in love may not come naturally to us. Sometimes, we are self-centered and focused on our daily comfort and pleasures. However, we have freedom in Christ and can love our neighbors even amid our own problems. Serving and caring for others can take the focus off our problems and allow us to bring joy to others. In Galatians 5, Paul tells us that we are called to be free but not to use that as an excuse to sin. Then he proclaims that the entire law is fulfilled in keeping the one command of loving your neighbor as yourself.

We have freedom in Christ. He wants a relationship with us, not us to check off a list of good behaviors. Although we do have freedom and forgiveness for our sins, our righteousness brings us closer to Him. The passions and desires of this world can be strong at times. We already have learned that we are not of this world and should shed things mentioned in Galatians 5, such as sexual immorality, impurity, debauchery, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, and orgies. That is quite a list of sins, and he declares that individuals involved in those activities will not inherit the kingdom of God.

These activities in the flesh or in the mind are in direct opposition to God’s best for us. If we walk closely with him, there should be fruit and life, not death. Galatians 5 gives us the fruit of the spirit, which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. If we live by the Spirit and belong to Christ Jesus, our earthly passions and desires will die, and our eyes and actions will reflect a Godly lifestyle.

A relationship with Christ should be our first priority. It will allow us to be closer to Him and understand His views of our actions. We should avoid the acts of the flesh and ensure we have the fruits of the spirit in our lives. Identify and list daily acts of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control that you can do more often. This a practical way to find joy in Christ today regardless of your circumstances.

Day 3: Read Ephesians Chapter 6

It is time to be strong in the Lord and prepare to gain ground in your struggle. If you are in a difficult season of life, you are probably in the middle of a spiritual battle. Protective gear and training are needed. The time for being passive is over, and taking spiritual action is important. Just as an athlete prepares for an event, you must do so as well. In Ephesians 6, Paul identifies God’s steps for gaining spiritual strength which include putting on the full armor of God. He tells us to be strong and to stand against Satan’s plans. It may feel like we are struggling with others, but we are not. In a spiritual battle, it’s not the earthly people we are fighting with, but powers and spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm. Once you recognize this, it will change how you react to those people.

The full armor of God is the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, feet fitted with peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God. This armor will help us stand firm and not allow the evil one to take ground in our life and the lives of our loved ones.

To become victorious in the spiritual battles, we must arm ourselves with truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, and the word of God. Satan is your enemy and is using your struggles, emotions, and possibly even certain people around you to beat you down. Sometimes he will throw big problems and distractions at you, and other times it’s 20 different little things that all build up that make you feel defeated. Whichever it may be, you can stand firm with God’s armor.

As does anyone going into battle, prepare and plan. The obvious steps are to immerse yourself in the word, pray and worship. There are other things you can do as well. Analyze any gaps or kinks in your armor in the areas of sin and righteousness, and then fix them by turning and repenting. Identify areas that Satan has tried to trip you up in the past to be ready for them. Finally, go through a mental journey of when God has shown up for you in the past. Express your gratitude for those times because he can do it again. Be alert and ready.

Spend some time identifying what the armor of God looks like in your situation. Acknowledge if there is any specific area you need to strengthen that will make you ready for the spiritual battle you are in. Suit up with truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, and the word of God! This a practical way to find joy in Christ today regardless of your circumstances.

Day 2: Read Romans Chapter 8

Life is a struggle because of the sins dating back to Adam and Eve, but we shouldn’t lose hope. Everything good comes from God. He is good, and he is interceding on our behalf.

In Romans 8, Paul talks about the present sufferings and how they don’t compare to God’s glory that will be revealed. He states that although our creation is decaying and in bondage, God will liberate it and give us freedom.

Although your situation probably does not make sense right now, he is working all things out for the good of his children. He is on our side and has a big picture we cannot see. When Satan attempts his schemes, God can turn a bad situation into something beautiful. He can reclaim, refurbish, and restore any mess that we’ve made or any struggle we may find ourselves in. He forgives, redeems, and brings joy where there once was sadness.

In Romans 8, it says that God works for the good of those who love him. We are called according to His purpose and made in the image of His Son. We are predestined, called, justified, and glorified. What a beautiful realization of that truth. If God is for us, who can be against us? He gave his son for us and will graciously give us more. Christ Jesus, who died on the cross and rose on the third day, is sitting at the right hand of God, interceding for us and working out all our problems behind the scenes.

Nothing can separate us from his love, not trouble, persecution, famine, weapons, or danger. Through Jesus Christ, we are more than conquerors. Neither life nor death, present or future, height or depth, or any powers can separate us from the love of God and Jesus Christ our Lord. What a glorious title to be called a conqueror, but again it’s through the source of power, Christ Jesus, that we have our strength. We are victorious in our struggle only because we belong to God and cannot be separated from his love. God is working things out for your good, and nothing can separate you from his love. Memorize Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Write and display it on a note where you will see it multiple times a day. This is a practical way to find joy in Christ today, regardless of your circumstances.

Day 1: Read Philippians Chapter 4

Life’s struggles can be overwhelming and will often fill us with despair. It is time to lift our eyes to our Maker and stand firm in the Lord. He made us in his image of strength. We have an outward gentleness and love for the world with an inner strength of perseverance because Christ is living within us. This is our hope and joy for the future, an eternity with Him. God gives us clear instructions not to be anxious but to pray. Many of us tend to worry, and that is our first reaction to a problem rising. Being anxious is not God’s plan for us. He will take on those burdens for us if we allow him to. Philippians 4 says to rejoice and show our gentleness to others. It then tells us not to be anxious but to pray, be thankful, and bring our requests to the Lord. In doing so, we can have joy and peace that transcend all understanding.

We can have His peace and joy despite our circumstances because God is faithful and comes through for us. God made us to be emotional beings. However, many times we will allow unhealthy emotions to simmer. Most of us are also on a constant hunt for comfort and happiness. While happiness is a fleeting emotion, joy can be found in Christ, regardless of our situation. He uses those difficult seasons to bring us closer to Him. Managing our thoughts and what we dwell on is the key to finding that unending joy. Philippians states to think about things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy.

We need the God of peace to be with us. As the word tells us in Philippians 4, pray, guard your heart, and replace the anxious and worrisome thoughts. When struggles arise and negative thoughts creep into your mind, pray and immediately shift your thoughts to things that are of God. They are pure, lovely, and praiseworthy. This is a practical way to find joy in Christ today, regardless of your circumstances.