Opening the box to accept Jesus’ gift of love, requires the admission of guilt and our request for forgiveness. Isn’t that silly? Who would leave such an extravagant gift unopened? Why would someone pretend they didn’t know it was theirs? How long before we humbly acknowledge the present delivered to us? What are we afraid of? Ironically though, almost everyone refused to unwrap the present delivered to them. This gift was good news, assured as genuine by the resurrection following. When the gift was finally consummated two millennium ago, the heralds who witnessed the crucifixion proclaimed the compassionate conquest credited to it. The delivery was scheduled from the beginning of time, and notification of the delivery was announced repeatedly by the prophets of old. Jesus delivered love as a present, giftwrapped, and personalized with your name inscribed on it. The forgiveness Jesus secured for us, provides the perfection required of us. As the truism goes: “We owed a debt we could not pay, so He paid a debt He did not owe.” The only way to be transformed to perfect, is for our imperfections to be cleansed away.ġ John 1:9 says: “If we confess our sins, he (God) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Let me ask you this, when God cleanses us from “all unrighteousness”, how much unrighteousness is left? None my friend, none. Redemption is a gift God offers, secured by the death Jesus suffered. The answer to that is number three: forgiveness. This creates a dilemma, doesn’t it? If Heaven requires sinlessness (which it does), and we’re not sinless (which we aren’t), how can we be reconditioned to live with God in Heaven?

It’s just not possible for tarnished, sinful people to dwell in Heaven. Second, our imperfections cannot coexist with God. Imperfections created by sin create a colossal chasm separating us from God. Let’s look at three principles to understand why saying, “I’m sorry” is vital to knowing the love of Christ.įirst, let’s agree that some of our decisions are not God’s best for us, and when our free will choices conflicts with His will, we become distanced from Him. In relation to God, these same dynamics exist.

Making mistakes and seeking forgiveness comes with the territory.

In real life, real love cycles through regret, confession, repentance, grace and forgiveness. Although touching, this dramatic story of love also begs a realistic question: Is it true? Does true love - not the type portrayed in films to sell tickets and win Oscars - but real life, gut-level, where the rubber meets the road, true love, exist apart from the honest expression of regret when an offense is made?

What is love means to you