Pre-Forgiven

Given November 29, 2009

We’ve all received these mailings from companies teasing us with “Pre-approved”, “0%”, and “Free Gift”, all trying to lure us into their camp.  Some of the hooks are pretty interesting but I got one recently that really caught my attention.  It said, “Pre-Forgiven”.  It was from an insurance company offering to forgive me for an accident in my future with  tagline, “Open to find out how. *”.  Notice the asterisk?  There must be a catch to it, look out!

As with many things lately, my mind immediately thinks of something spiritual in this.  Pre-forgiven…..hmmm…  “I am writing to you who are God’s children because your sins have been forgiven through Jesus.” 1 John 2:12.  Yes that’s right, our sins have already been forgiven by the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross.  We ARE pre-forgiven.  But let us not miss the key, we have to accept that forgiveness.  We have to open the Word of God to, “find out how”and there’s no catch to it; it’s available and we just have to accept it.  “..whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Acts 2:21.

But there is a warning the apostle Paul gives us, “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?”  Romans 6:1-2.  The fact that we are pre-forgiven does not give us the freedom to go on sinning depending on the grace of God to keep on forgiving us.  That’s the wrong attitude.  So open that envelope, (the Bible), and find out how you are “Pre-forgiven”.

You might be interested in another take on this topic from the blog of Emily-Sarah Lineback at: http://whitlineink.com/lifeinfirstperson/?p=518&cpage=1.