To Whom He Has Forgiven Much
You love more and deeper when you experience His grace and unmerited favor in forgiving you of all your sins – past, present, and future. If you believe that you have only been forgiven of your sins at the time of salvation and have to depend on your constant confessions of daily sins, you are robbing yourself of His grace and favor.
You do not receive God’s forgiveness in installments. Never think that when you confess a sin He only forgives that sin. This creates a never-ending process of asking for forgiveness which means that you never believed in total forgiveness at salvation. When you believe that you have only been forgiven little and must keep seeking forgiveness you do not reap the joy of living in total deliverance from sin.
When you understand God’s grace, you create a lifestyle of sinning less – not more. You realize what God has forgiven you of and you want to draw closer to Him.
Jesus Died Once For Your Sins
Jesus died once for your sins. Do not cheapen His unmerited favor with your constant efforts of confessing your sins. This makes you sin-conscious and God wants you to be Spirit conscious of His love, grace, and mercy.
“The goodness of God leads you to repentance” Romans 2:4.
When Peter and his crew of fishermen carried their fishing nets to shore, they began washing their nets and noticed the large number of people approaching the waterfront. Then Peter noticed the man who everyone was crowding to see.
This man was headed straight toward Peter’s boat and got in! He gestured to Peter and his crew to grab their nets and get into the boat. Jesus asked Peter to push the boat out from the shore and away from the crowd.
Jesus sat on the edge of the boat and began teaching the multitude gathered on the shore. When He finished, He asked Peter to launch into the deep and let down his nets for a catch.
Peter was reluctant as they had fished all night and caught nothing. He explained this to Jesus but wanted to comply with His request.
What Happened Next...
Can you imagine Peter’s thoughts? He wondered what a carpenter from Nazareth knew about fishing. Peter had been fishing these waters since he was a youth and knew that this late in the morning was NOT the opportune time to fish.
As they reached the deep waters, Peter went through the motions and cast one net into the water. He figured that this would appease this Man from Nazareth and prove his point – there were not any fish to catch.
Yet there was something about this man Jesus. Even though Peter did not know this man, he felt compelled to listen to Him as He had a quiet undeniable authority.
What happened next was a shock to the crew. It was as though the net was a fish magnet and massive schools of large tilapia rushed into the net from every direction. The net began to tear as they loaded the fish into the boat.
They began to holler to their friends in another boat to come help them. The two boats were lined side-by-side and the crews worked furiously until both boats were so full they began to sink.
Simon Peter fell to his knees and proclaimed, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord” Luke 5:8.
God Blesses You First
Think about it! Which came first….Peter’s repentance or God’s blessing? Under the covenant of grace, God blesses you first, and His blessings, favor, and overflowing love lead you to repentance!
Just as Peter toiled all night and caught nothing, suddenly his business soared with overflowing blessing. When we follow God’s leading and open our hearts to receive His goodness, love, and forgiveness, we reap blessings beyond our imagination.