Digging Deeper – Drink from the Fountain of Grace Every Day
“Then Jesus said to the woman, ‘Your sins are forgiven.'”
“And Jesus said to the woman, ‘Your faith has saved you; go in peace.'”
Luke 7:48, 50 (NLT)
DRINK FROM THE FOUNTAIN OF GRACE EVERY DAY
Jesus ends this encounter by telling the woman that her sins are forgiven, her faith has saved her, and she can go in peace. Think about how those words must have sounded to someone who had probably lived with shame and the judgment of other people for years. Notice what Jesus does not tell her. He does not tell her to spend the rest of her life punishing herself for her past. He does not tell her to work hard enough to prove that she deserves another chance. Jesus sends her away with peace because her relationship with God has changed.
Some Christians believe that Jesus has forgiven their sins, yet they continue living as though God’s acceptance rises and falls with their daily performance. When they have a good spiritual day, they feel close to God. When they fail, they assume God has pulled away.
Lamentations 3:22–23 (NLT) gives us a better picture: “The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.” God’s mercies are new every morning. That does not mean we receive a new salvation every day. It means we wake up each morning trusting again in the faithful love of the God who has already made us His own.
Imagine someone gives you an unlimited lifetime membership to a gym. Everything has been paid for. The membership is active, and you have complete access. But after receiving it, you never actually use it. You keep the membership card in your wallet. You tell people you are a member and may even talk about how great the gym is, but you never enjoy what has already been provided for you.
Christians can live something like that spiritually. We know what Jesus accomplished for us, but we can still carry guilt He has already removed. Romans 8:1 (NLT) says, “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.” When we fail, we should confess and turn back to God, but we don’t have to spend weeks trying to pay for what Jesus has already paid for.
When your love for Jesus begins to grow cold, the answer is not simply to try harder to feel something. We need to slow down and remember the cross, remember His mercy, and remember that we have peace with God through Christ.
Reflection Questions
- Are you living in the freedom of God’s forgiveness, or are you still punishing yourself for something Jesus has forgiven?
- What does it mean for you personally that God’s mercies are new every morning?
- Has what Jesus did for you become familiar rather than amazing?
- Begin today by thanking Jesus for three specific ways He has changed your life.
Steve Roach serves as the Pastor of Spiritual Growth at NorthStar Church. He and his wife, Amy, live in Acworth and have three girls, Olivia, Sydney, and Hayley and one son, Colton. He enjoys watching sports and spending time with his family.
