Category Archives: Forgiveness

Mother and child sharing a loving hug on a park bench
Bible, Disobedience, Forgiveness, Mercy, Repentance, Romans, Scripture

SHOW ME MERCY

ROMANS 11:30

“For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience,”

Do you remember the childhood game of “Mercy”? Two kids would face each other and raise both hands toward the other person, palms facing them. Then you interlock your fingers with palms touching (this was definitely a pre-covid game, lol). Each person would try to bend the other’s fingers back until they cried, “Mercy!” It could be quite painful. I don’t know if kids still play that or not.

Unlike that childhood game, God doesn’t bend our fingers back until we cry out for mercy. He shows us mercy the moment we cry out to Jesus. The Greek word used here for “shown mercy” is the verb eleéō. Do you remember what mercy is? Mercy is not getting what you deserve. Because of our disobedience, we deserve judgment and hell. But because of our confession of sin and obedience to Christ, we have been shown mercy.

APPLICATION

I think the application for us is obvious. Obedience equals mercy. Disobedience equals no mercy. I have a nephew who chose to illustrate mercy to his oldest child when she was small. She had been disobedient about something and when caught, her dad took her in his lap and said, “You know what you did deserves a spanking. But I am going to show you mercy.” He didn’t realize her younger brother was watching all of this and listening. A few days later the brother disobeyed and was facing a spanking. When the dad took him in his arms, he cried out, “Show me mercy! Show me mercy!”

Are we that way? Do we disobey God and then cry out for mercy? That’s not what God does. He extends mercy because of our repentance and confession of sin. Strong’s Concordance says this word “expresses the active bestowal of mercy – an outward movement of compassion that alleviates misery.” Have you been miserable before? I can recount a few times in my life that has been the case.

The Hebrew equivalent of eleéō is racham (to show compassion). Can you think of a few times that was what the Lord did for Israel? Time and time again, we see that shown by God to the nation of Israel when they repented and sought His face. All we need to do today is the same. We need to seek His face. He is listening and actively ready to show us the mercy we desire.

Thank You, Lord, for Your mercy shown to me even when I don’t deserve it.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Group of people raising hands toward radiant divine hands in the sky at sunset
Beloved, Bible, Enemies, Forgiveness, Gospel, Promises, Romans, Salvation, Scripture

ENEMIES AND BELOVED?

ROMANS 11:28

“In relation to the gospel they are enemies on your account, but in relation to God’s choice they are beloved on account of the fathers;”

How is it possible to love your enemy? It isn’t possible on our own. But you have read where Jesus tells us to do just that. In Matthew 5:43-45, we read His instructions He gave the people during the Sermon on the Mount. “43 ‘You have heard that it was said, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.” 44 But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may prove yourselves to be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.’”

Paul had undoubtedly heard these words spoken by Jesus, either through word of mouth or perhaps he was present in the crowd listening in (this is pure conjecture on my part). But He also knew of God’s election of the Jewish nation and how much God loved them. Let’s take a look a look at the two words used to describe them in today’s verse – “enemies” and “beloved.”

APPLICATION

The word used by Paul here which is translated “enemies” is exthrós, which HELPS Word-studies describes as “someone openly hostile (at enmity), animated by deep-seated hatred. Exthros implies irreconcilable hostility, proceeding out of a ‘personal’ hatred bent on inflicting harm (DNTT).” This word is used to describe Satan and his demonic army of fallen angels who are bent on our destruction. That’s a pretty strong word to describe the unbelieving Jews. But this was referring to their actions toward the believing Gentiles. Paul knew this all too well. Remember he was on the way to Damascus to arrest and even perhaps kill followers of Christ when he met Jesus face to face.

The other word Paul uses is “beloved.” That’s the Greek word agapétos which is used to describe God’s relationship with the Jewish nation. No matter what they did, God still loved them. The Topical Lexicon says it this way. “Divine affection is not merely sentimental; it describes the covenantal bond established by the blood of Christ.” Christ’s blood was shed for the Jewish nation, even though many of them rejected it. God was still in covenant with them and sought to redeem them.

We have a choice today. We can be enemies of the cross or God’s beloved. Which do you prefer? One holds certain judgment and damnation while the other promises eternal security and living in the presence of the Lord. One invites struggles and hardship while the other gives us the power to face life’s uncertainties knowing the One Who can calm any storm. 1 John 4:7 tells us, “Beloved, let’s love one another; for love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.

Father, I am grateful that I am one of Your beloveds. You love me with an everlasting love. 

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Man in dirty work clothes and gloves carrying a bag entering a home through the front door
Bible, Forgiveness, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Romans, Sacrifice, Scripture, Sin

THE REMOVAL OF SIN

ROMANS 11:27

“‘THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM, WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS.’”

When I was young, I worked in my uncle’s and my cousin’s tobacco fields. That was hot, hard work. But it was also dirty work. I would come home at the end of a long day completely filthy. The tar from those tobacco leaves stains your hands and ruins your clothes. I found that green tomatoes could cut the grim from my hands. Getting clean from a day’s work was work in itself. I am so glad I am not responsible for getting myself clean spiritually. That’s God’s job.

Paul reflects on God’s covenant with His chosen nation today and seems to allude to Jeremiah31:33-34. What he writes in verse 27 of Romans 11 is more of a paraphrase than a direct quote. Those verses say, “33 ‘For this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,’ declares the LORD: ‘I will put My law within them and write it on their heart; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 35 They will not teach again, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, “Know the LORD,” for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,’ declares the LORD, ‘for I will forgive their wrongdoing, and their sin I will no longer remember.’”

APPLICATION

What great words from the Lord to His people. Paul reminds us that God is a covenant-keeping God. He will never leave His children wanting. He still pursues the Jewish nation today. One day every knee will bow to Jesus, even those who are a part of the Jewish nation. He cleansed them once through the blood sacrifices and cleanses them today through the blood of His Lamb, Jesus Christ.

The same Greek word for “take away” is used in Hebrews 10:4 and is a reminder of the futility of those old blood sacrifices. “For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” The word means to cut off take away. Isaiah 43:25 goes even further in this description of the removal of our sins. “‘I, yes I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake and remembers your sins no more.’” He removes them and remembers them no more. Wow!

Give the Lord praise today for this wonderful gift. You can probably remember your sins, can’t you? But God chooses to remember them no more. Once you come to Jesus, all He sees is His blood covering you. Can I encourage you to look at other’s sins the same way? Pray for them. Forgive them if they have harmed you. Place them in God’s hands. Only He can remove the stain of those sins, but we can move past them through His power.

O Lord, there are no words to express my gratitude for the forgiveness of my sins.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Police officers handcuff and escort several individuals along a sidewalk with police vehicles nearby
Bible, Forgiveness, Holy, Jesus, Redemption, Romans, Scripture, Spared

WILL NOT SPARE YOU

ROMANS 11:21

“for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either.”

Have you ever been spared a punishment for something you deserved? We probably all have at some point in our lives. But there are also occasions when we are not spared and have to suffer what comes. If you are hanging out with the wrong crowd and do something that is unlawful, you can expect to not be spared by law enforcement. My wife and I see that all the time on our favorite Police reality show. All the talking in the world won’t get you off. You are now facing the consequences.

Paul warns the Gentiles in today’s verse that they can expect to be treated the same way God treats the unbelieving Jews if they turn from Him. He is not going to spare them either. God is just and holy and cannot simply ignore rebellion. Paul has been telling us that the Jews who rejected Jesus would be dealt with by God. But now he tells the Gentiles the same. The old saying “What is good for the goose is good for the gander” definitely applies here.

APPLICATION

Albert Barnes explains this verse well. “If God did not refrain from rejecting the Jews who became unbelievers, assuredly he will not refrain from rejecting you in the same circumstances. It may be supposed that he will be quite as ready to reject the ingrafted branches, as to cast off those which belonged to the parent stock. The situation of the Gentiles is not such as to give them any security over the condition of the rejected Jew.”

In 2 Peter 2:4-5 we see this word for “spare” used twice in a most definitive way. “4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, held for judgment; 5 and did not spare the ancient world, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly;” Whoa! And you think you should be spared for disobedience? I think not.

We saw the same word used earlier in Romans 8:32 when Paul wrote that God “did not spare His Own Son.” Sin determines God’s response. Because Jesus Who was sinless became as sin for us by taking on all our sins, God could not spare His life. He gave His life as a ransom for us. We were spared judgment because God did not spare Him. Double Whoa! Aren’t you grateful? I sure am. Therefore, live your lives as being worthy of that.

Father God, thank You for sparing me from Your judgment through the blood of Jesus.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Forgiveness, Grace, Jesus, Obedience, Romans, Scripture

FREELY GIVE = FORGIVEN

ROMANS 8:32

“He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?” 

Have you ever had the experience of finding out what you thought you understood really had much deeper meaning? I like to watch suspense movies. I am the one in the crowd who tries to figure out “who did it” long before it is revealed. A lot of the time I guess right, but sometimes I am blown away at the ending. When all is revealed, it is so much easier to understand.

That’s true with today’s verse for me. Sometimes when you are reading the Bible you come across a verse that you think you understand until you dig a little deeper. In the last phrase of today’s verse, Paul writes, “how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?”That sounds good on the surface, but there is so much more here. Let’s dig in.

APPLICATION

Let’s look specifically at “freely give.” That’s the Greek word charizomai which comes from the Greek word for “grace.” The  Topical Lexicon describes this verb this way, “The term gathers under one umbrella the concepts of (1) freely bestowing a gift, (2) remitting a debt or penalty, and (3) graciously granting a request. In every occurrence the accent falls on the generosity of the giver, not the worthiness of the recipient.” Isn’t that so much better than simply “freely give”?

The same verb is used over in 2 Corinthians 2:10-11. “10 But one whom you forgive anything, I also forgive; for indeed what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I did so for your sakes in the presence of Christ, 11 so that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes.” Charizomai is used three times in verse 10 (the one in italics isn’t in the Greek text). This forgiveness gives us power over the schemes of the devil. How is the possible? Because an unforgiving spirit plays right into his hands. When we forgive like Christ forgave, we are be obedient to Jesus and not our flesh.

We see charizomai used twice in Ephesians 4:32. “Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” You and I need to forgive like that. And we do that not for the other person but for ourselves. More importantly, we do it out of obedience to our Lord Who has forgiven us so much. Amen? Amen!

Even though I was unworthy of Your forgiveness, You bestowed it upon me. Help me do the same to others.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Flesh, Forgiveness, Law, Romans, Scripture

FLESH

ROMANS 8:3

“For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh,”

Man, o man! The older I get, the more I feel my body wearing out. It doesn’t matter that I’ve lost a lot of weight in the past year trying to get healthier. It doesn’t matter that I try to walk about three miles every day and even lift some light weights and do sit ups. My body is wearing out, and I cannot stop it. The sin which entered mankind back at the Garden of Eden has corrupted us and caused us to die little by little. That’s okay. I know where I am going when this old body does finally wear out.

Paul talks about the flesh today in verse 3 of chapter 8. I want you to look carefully, though, at how he uses it. The Greek word is sarx which is translated as flesh, meat of an animal, the body, human nature or human being. It’s used 149 times in the New Testament. It’s not the word itself that I want you to see. It’s how Paul put this sentence together. Let’s take a look.

APPLICATION

Paul starts out by saying, “For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh,…” He is not saying the Law was fleshly. He is saying those who were supposed to fulfill the requirements of the Law were fleshly men who were not able to keep it. Benson says this about this phrase, “The law was not weak or defective in itself. Its moral precepts were a perfect rule of duty, and its sanctions were sufficiently powerful to enforce obedience in those who were able to obey. But it was weak through the depravity of men’s nature, which it had neither power to remedy nor to pardon; and so could not destroy sin in men’s flesh.”

Then Paul says, “sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh…” What?! That’s a crazy idea, right? God, You know men’s flesh is weak, so You decide to send Your Own Son in the flesh? Surely, You just made Your first mistake. Wait just a minute. Look at those words carefully. Paul said, “in the likeness of sinful flesh.” He didn’t say “in the flesh.” Christ was truly fully human, but He was also fully divine. His flesh was just like ours. He had to eat, sleep and drink. But His fleshly body did not contain the corrupt nature of mankind. He was without sin!

And then Paul wraps up this verse by saying, “He condemned sin in the flesh,…” How did God do that? Isaiah 53:6 tells us. “All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him.” God took our fleshly, corrupt, bodily sins and laid them all on the sinless, perfect, holy body of Christ. He paid the ultimate price for our sins, for our corrupt flesh. Praise be to God. Hallelujah!

Words will never be adequate to express our gratitude for the sending of Jesus to earth to die for our fleshly sins. Thank You, Lord.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Discipline, Excuses, Forgiveness, Grace, Scripture, Sin

STUPID QUESTIONS

ROMANS 6:15

“What then? Are we to sin because we are not under the Law but under grace? Far from it!”

You’ve probably heard someone say, “There are no stupid questions, only stupid answers.” That may be true in the academia world where students are seeking more knowledge about a subject. They can ask all sorts of questions of their teachers with the hope of learning more. The purpose of that quote above is to encourage students to ask for clarification and to not be afraid of seeking the information they are after.

However…Paul introduces a question today that is really stupid. Pardon me for saying so, but this question is so bizarre that he quickly answers it himself by saying, “Far from it!” It’s very similar to Romans 6:1 that we saw earlier. This whole chapter has been showing us the answer to these two questions. Repetition of thought is important to reinforce learning. That’s exactly what Paul is doing here. He is trying to drive home a point to the Romans and us.

APPLICATION

Concerning this verse, Ellicott’s Commentary says this, “The Apostle returns to a difficulty very similar to that which presented itself at the beginning of the chapter. The answer is couched under a slightly different metaphor. It is no longer death to the one, life to the other, but freedom from the one, service to the other. These are correlative terms. Freedom from sin implies service to God, just as freedom from God means service to sin. The same idea of service and freedom will be found worked out in John 8:32-34; John 8:36, and in Galatians 5:1.”

As followers of Christ, of course, we shouldn’t take grace for granted and sin willfully. I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating. “Before Christ, we chase sin. After Christ, sin chases us.” Don’t ever think Jesus excuses our sins just because we are in the family. Now wait! I am not saying He doesn’t forgive our sins. I said He doesn’t excuse them. Sins have consequences. We may escape an eternal punishment, but we could face discipline here on earth for repeated disobedience.

You don’t hear that preached much, do you? The whole notion that God is love and would never allow anyone to go to hell is just plain hogwash. It is true that God doesn’t send them there, but they do go because of their refusal to follow Him. As a child of God, we can receive a good ole fashion whooping for our continued disobedience. So, to echo Paul’s answer today in this verse concerning choosing to sin – “Far from it!”

O Lord, keep me far from sin and close to You.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Accountability, Bible, Forgiveness, Jesus, Law, Reconciled, Salvation, Scripture

HELD ACCOUNTABLE

ROMANS 5:13

“for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not counted against anyone when there is no law.”

Wouldn’t it be awful to be arrested, charged and imprisoned for breaking a law you never knew existed? I have heard it said, though, that ignorance of the law is no excuse for breaking it. Laws exist to keep people safe and, hopefully, allow for an efficient government (that’s not always the case). There have been laws on the books for centuries, some good and some bad. We are told to respect those in authority and submit to them. That’s hard to do

Paul continues to lay out the necessity for our reconciliation with God by showing us that sin has existed since the fall of Adam. There was no written law for people before God gave it to Moses, but there was still an unwritten law which God had given all mankind. It would indeed be cruel for God to hold people accountable for sins if they did not know they were sins. Paul tells us that was not the case in today’s verse.

APPLICATION

Look at what Poole says about this. “It appears there was a law before the law of Moses, for if there had been no law all that while, then sin would not have been imputed to men, so as to make them liable to punishment or death; but sin was imputed or charged upon men before the law of Moses, and death passed upon all. Therefore, there must have been a law, by the transgression of which men were sinners, before that time. And that was either the law of nature, or the positive law which God gave to Adam,…” (Matthew Poole’s Commentary)

Paul has already covered this back in Romans 1:20. “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, being understood by what has been made, so that they are without excuse.” No one can claim they did not know any better. They cannot claim God just made me this way. Boy, I’ve heard that a lot. Sorry, it doesn’t work.

How does this apply to us? I think it’s pretty clear. We have no excuse for our sins. We cannot claim ignorance. Christ came to die to cleanse us of all sin. Nothing prevents anyone from receiving that free gift. It doesn’t matter where you live, what you do for a living, who your family is or any other excuse you want to throw out there. Christ died for YOU! Never deny that. And if you have accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior, give Him praise right now. Bless His holy name.

Bless the Lord, o my soul, and all that is within me bless His holy name.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Confession, Evil, Forgiveness, Scripture, Sin

FORGIVEN

ROMANS 4:7

“‘BLESSED ARE THOSE WHOSE LAWLESS DEEDS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN, AND WHOSE SINS HAVE BEEN COVERED.’”

When I think back to my life before Christ, I am so thankful for His grace and mercy. I was never evil, but my actions and deeds were. I don’t have to enumerate them here. I am sure you had similar deeds in your “Before Christ” days. Am I right? Knowing what is not good and still doing it is just evil. It’s what I used to tell my children was “willful disobedience.” I was willfully disobeying. I deserved punishment, but I got grace. Hallelujah!

In today’s verse and tomorrow’s, Paul quotes from Psalm 32:1-2, which I quoted yesterday in my blog. Most scholars agree that David wrote this Psalm after his sins involving Bathsheba and her husband, Uriah. It may have been written right after Nathan confronted him or at a later time while he was reflecting on it. Either way, it is a beautiful psalm of confession and forgiveness. You can use this as your own psalm of praise over your forgiven sins.

APPLICATION

Do you remember the story behind this psalm? David had stayed home from the war (his first mistake) and when he couldn’t sleep one evening, he took a walk on his rooftop. It was there he saw Bathsheba bathing on a nearby rooftop. Let’s be clear – that first glance was not sin. The second glance, however, is where it all began. Lust sprang up in his heart and he began to plot to “take” this woman. Lust let to the sin of adultery and then murder.

Sins have a way of multiplying quickly. I just had a thought pop into my head (dangerous, I know). Do you remember “herman” bread or maybe you called it “friendship” bread? You got a starter blob from someone or started your own. Then you watched that blog grow in the frig due to the yeast expanding. You were supposed to take part and make bread and then give part of the remaining blob away. My mom never gave any away. We had “herman” bread coming out our nose, lol.

That’s how sin spreads. Left unchecked it expands and grows and will eventually lead to death. If you have unconfessed sins today, bring them to Jesus. Maybe you’re reading this, and you are not a believer yet. Make this day your day of salvation. Say with David, “BLESSED ARE THOSE WHOSE LAWLESS DEEDS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN, AND WHOSE SINS HAVE BEEN COVERED.”

Father, I praise You for Your mercy and grace. Thank You for rescuing me.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Forgiveness, Gospel, Jesus, Righteousness, Salvation, Scripture

FOR ALL WHO BELIEVE

ROMANS 3:22

“but it is the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction,”

When I read today’s verse, my mind immediately goes to John 3:16. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” EVERYONE! I can just hear Billy Graham reading this verse and sharing the simplicity of the Gospel with the crowds. God doesn’t expect us to get all cleaned up before we come to Him. He takes us just as we are. He does the cleaning.

Paul continues his thought from verse 21 (see yesterday’s blog) when he talks about the key element of God’s righteousness which is revealed to us. It only comes through faith in Jesus Christ. No amount of law keeping or sheep slaughtered will accomplish it. His life was freely given so that we could receive the free gift of grace. And this, Paul says, does not discriminate. He says, “there is no distinction.” That Greek word is diastole, and it means a variation, difference or separation. We all have access to this righteousness in Christ.

APPLICATION

I love this description of this verse given by a scholar. “And so, dear friends, I have to come to you now with this message. No matter what a man is, how far he has gone, how sinful he has been, how long he has stayed away from the sweetness and grace of that great sacrifice on the Cross, that death was for him. The power of Christ’s sacrifice makes possible the forgiveness of all the sins of all the world, past, present, and to come. The worth of that sacrifice, which was made by the willing surrender of the Incarnate Son of God to the death of the Cross, is sufficient for the ransom price of all the sins of all men.” (McLaren’s Expositions)

Later in Romans 10-9-10, Paul writes, “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.” Confession and belief, of course, involves repentance and obedience.

God intended for us all to be saved. He even says so in His word. In 1 Timothy 2:3-4, Paul writes to Timothy, “3 This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” So, if it is God’s will that all be saved, shouldn’t it be ours as well? Share the Gospel with someone today. You may just change the course of their life for eternity.

Father, thank You that someone took the time to share with me long ago. Help me share with others.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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