Last Updated on September 16, 2022
Many Christians struggle with understanding the benefits of God’s love and forgiveness. The Holy Spirit is our source of forgiveness, and without it, forgiveness is impossible. This makes walking our full potential in Christ difficult. Here are a few helpful tips for walking in love and forgiveness. We must recognize that we are not able to live up to the standard of the gospel if we do not experience God’s love and forgiveness. In addition, the Holy Spirit does not grant forgiveness for the sake of forgiveness.
God’s gift of forgiveness
The Holy Spirit is the source of love, and without it, forgiveness is impossible. Many Christians struggle with forgiveness because they don’t know what it means. They don’t understand the nature of God’s love, and that makes it difficult for them to live up to their potential as a Christ follower. Let me explain this concept. Love is a powerful force that covers sin and enables us to walk in the light of God’s truth.
Forgiveness is not about blaming the other person, but it is about celebrating God’s gift of forgiveness and rejecting revenge. Without forgiveness, life is a mind-numbing calculation of justice and punishment. Without forgiveness, life is a meticulous ledger sheet of obligation and partial payments. God has a plan for you, so let Him be the source of your forgiveness.
The last verse of the book of Ephesians is particularly important, as it talks about allowing the Holy Spirit to work in our lives. It encourages us to forgive, as Jesus did. And God’s gift of forgiveness, which we can apply to our marriages, can help us walk in the ways He intended. In Ephesians 4:11-12, we are reminded of how God forgave us for our sins, even if we can’t forgive ourselves.
Christ’s sacrifice on the cross as the basis of your forgiveness
Jesus’ death on the cross secures your forgiveness because he shed his own blood. Old covenant sacrifices could not atone for sin, so Christ’s death was a complete atonement. His perfect sacrifice was sufficient to atone for the sins of his followers and secure God’s full forgiveness. In the old covenant, animals were sacrificed to cover sin, but they were not able to atone for sin, so they were merely shadows. Ultimately, only the blood of Christ was able to atone for our sins, because His perfect sacrifice was the only one that could do that.
Forgiveness is a central part of the biblical story, and it is unearned. By contrast, many worldviews require that we earn our way to God or to some higher state of being by following certain practices. However, the Bible clearly says that God’s forgiveness is free. He already paid the price, so we don’t have to. Therefore, forgiveness comes freely to those who accept Jesus’ sacrifice and enter a relationship with him.
This means that Jesus came to the earth to perform the Father’s will. To this end, Jesus willingly laid down his life as a sin sacrifice. This sacrifice satisfied God’s wrath and was sufficient to satisfy the wrath of the Father. The old covenant sacrifices could not atone for sin because they were only religious rituals and not based on faith and obedience.
Actively loving a difficult person
The gospel says that actively loving a difficult person is a form of worship. Practicing it daily will help you transform your attitude toward the person and restore your relationship. If you’re looking for a good way to do that, read Matthew’s account of Jesus’ crucifixion. You may be surprised by how much you can learn from this account of Jesus’ death and resurrection.
Our world is full of difficult people. These people can include coworkers, in-laws who criticize our parenting, our children, people in our ministry, and even passive-aggressive friends. But no matter who we encounter, we must learn how to love them in return. God created difficult people in His image and loves them exceedingly. When we pray for them, we are able to see them through God’s perspective.
Confession as an expression of faith
To receive salvation and to maintain fellowship with God, Christians must confess their sins. God is slow to anger and steadfast in his love. The Bible teaches that God forgave those who repent and seek forgiveness. The Bible also makes clear that if a Christian does not confess sin, he or she is not a true Christian. Furthermore, God cannot clear the guilty without the shedding of blood.
Keeping short accounts with God
The key to living a victorious Christian life is keeping short accounts with God. As the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin, we must confess it. Failing to confess sin results in carnality and walking in the shadows. By walking in love and forgiveness, we will avoid accumulating sins and keep short accounts with God. Here are a few ways to do so:
Exhaling spiritually to experience God’s forgiveness
When we walk in the spirit, we are constantly “exhaling.” We breathe in and out through the power of the Holy Spirit. When we do, we follow the will of God, walk in His will, and surrender to His will. We are “filled with the Spirit,” or constantly controlled by Him. This fullness of Spirit allows us to do anything He asks of us, and we have the ability to do it.
As we walk in love and forgiveness, we must first confess our sins and inhale spiritually. This helps restore our fellowship with God. Exhaling spiritually helps us to reclaim our spiritual breath and experience God’s forgiveness in a way that is radically different from our physical breathing. It is an extremely effective tool for walking in the spirit and avoiding sin accumulation.
About The Author
Orochi Konya is a student of the web. He has been dabbling in it since he was young, and has become an expert in his own right. He loves all things digital, from making websites to programming to social media. In his spare time, Orochi enjoys indulging in his other passion: music. He loves listening to all kinds of music and often spends hours creating playlists on Spotify. He also enjoys drawing manga and watching anime in his free time. Orochi is a friendly pop-culture guru who is always happy to chat about the latest trends in both Japan and the U.S.