June
10, 2003
YOUR
SINS ARE FORGIVEN
"Son,
be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you" (Matthew 9:2,
NKJV).
Often,
Jesus healed the sick; paralytics, lepers, the deaf and dumb,
and anyone who came to Him with a need, and He also forgave
their sins.
Matthew,
Mark and Luke all recorded the following story of a paralytic
man. "They brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed.
When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, 'Son,
be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you.' And
at once some of the scribes said within themselves, 'This
Man blasphemes!'
"But
Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, 'Why
do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to
say, "Your sins are forgiven you," or to say, Arise
and walk"? But that you may know that the Son of Man
has power on earth to forgive sins'--then He said to the paralytic,
"Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house."
' And he arose and departed to his house.
"Now
when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God,
who had given such power to men" (Matthew 9:2-8, see
also Mark 2:3-13 and Luke 5:18-26).
An angel
of the Lord had appeared to Joseph before Mary became his
wife and, referring to the baby that she was carrying, said
to him, "He will save His people from their sins"
(Matthew 1:21).
"God
has exalted Him to His right hand to be Prince and Savior
to give repentance and forgiveness of sins" (Acts 5:31).
My
Prayer Today: Thank You, Lord, for your tender mercies
to us, for healing our sicknesses and forgiving our sins.
Amen.
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