While reading Ephesians this morning I was struck by the certainty of forgiveness.
Paul wrote: “In him WE HAVE redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins. . .” (Ephesians 1:7)
Paul writes that WE HAVE redemption and forgiveness. He dies not to say that we might have forgiveness sometime in the future, or we could possibly have, or we hope we might do enough good deeds to earn forgiveness. . .
According to Paul forgiveness is certain, something we can have. And we can know we have it. Right now. Present tense.
Why can we be so certain we are forgiven?
Paul goes on to say that we have forgiveness “in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us” (Ephesians 1:7,8).
Forgiveness is ours, not because of our goodness, but because of God’s grace. And his grace is not randomly sprinkled here and there in tiny portions; it is LAVISHED on us!