Christianity Oasis Forum

[Lani]

Romans 8:31-39
31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.
34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.


"In [Christ] we have redmption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace." Ephesians 1:7 (NRSV)


I volunteer with a ministry that works with meat who are moving back into society after serving prison time. These men were all convicted of felonies earlier in their lives and sent to prison. Some might consider the worst of their crimes to be unforgivable. Some of the ment talk about how they have ruined their lives.

In the Bible, Peter's is a story of accepting God's grace and not dwelling on past failures. Peter was the leader of the disciples, and two New Testament books bear his name. But Peter committed what might be considered an unforgivable sin:on the night of Jesus' arrest, Peter denied knowing him. After the third denial, Peter realized what he had done and wept bitterly. However, because he remained open to Christ's message of grace and forgiveness, Peter moved past his failures and went on to do great things.

All the men in our prison ministry have made a decision to accept Christ. Rather than dwell on past failures, they have learned that Christ washed away their sins with his death on the cross. As Christians, no matter what our past failures, we can take heart in knowing that Jesus paid our debt in full.


Prayer:Thank you, God, for forgiving all our sins because of what Jesus Christ as done for us. Amen.

Prayer Focus of Day: Those recently released from Prison.

Thought for the Day: Find a way to help the family of someone in prison

Story shared by: J. Brown MN)
Source: Upper Room Daily Devotional 7/17/11