I watched the video of a Hindu festival where people come to a river yearly to get some washing for their sins to be forgiven. That festival is touted to be the largest religious festival or gathering in the world because over 80 million people usually attend in one week.
One of the participants was asked why he came to the festival. He said he had committed many sins so he came to be washed at river ganges to obtain forgiveness. This is a yearly practice among them. In some religion, there are rituals that must be done to obtain forgiveness while some have words that must be chanted repeatedly yet there is no assurance of obtaining forgiveness.
I love Jesus. The forgiveness that is available through the sacrifice of Christ on the cross is absolute, no record will be kept after you are washed by the blood of the lamb. In fact, God does not keep the records of wrongs he has forgiven.
That's why I am amused when people keep asking for the forgiveness of sins they once asked God to forgive. Some take it to the extreme when they ask God to forgive all their childhood sins every day. That request is without faith. When will you believe you have been forgiven?
Under the old covenant, speaking through Isaiah the prophet, God promised never to remember our sins: “I—yes, I alone—will blot out your sins for my own sake and will never think of them again ( Isaiah 43:25). This promise became a reality in Christ.
Hebrews 8:12 says, "And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins". This is wonderful. Isn't it a nice thing that God has chosen not to remember our sins If we accept Christ? No religion on earth promised this. Listen, this is not an empty promise.
Religion makes people carry loads of guilt around but Christ set people free from guilt through his blood. Ephesians 1:7 says, "He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins"( NLT). Halleluyah!!!
Religion makes forgiveness hard to obtain and still doesn't give assurance of obtaining it after much labour. There is no rest in religion. Jesus spoke to the religious people of his day saying: "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest"( Matthew 11:28).
Religion can tell you to fast for seven days to obtain forgiveness whereas a sincere heart of repentance and genuine confession does it in few seconds.
It will be unfortunate for you to be in Christ and still subscribe to religion. You'll look miserable and live in bondage while others live in the glorious liberty of the sons of God. Come and enter into the rest prepared for you and me.
