Saved for eternity by Jesus Christ

The following is a letter my brother in Christ Tom sent to a dear Saint. I was,deeply touched and wanted to share this in the hope it will encourage and uplift the saints and draw the unsaved to salvation through Jesus Christ alone.
Begin quote:

Kathleen,

I hear your heart in your email below sister, and I understand how you feel. One of the hardest things for Christians to do is to "forgive themselves", and believe me every christian struggles with this issue, including me!   We beat ourselves up and God sits back and says something like this for example:....."Why are you feeling that way my child?  My Son has already paid for everyone of your sins past, present, and future.  I have already forgiven you for all of them.  I love you, and you're mine forevermore. continue to run the race despite your shorting comings and failure.  I purchased you, and Your reward is waiting for you in heaven." We will be spending eternity together forever, and ever, and I long for that day also just like you!  Be faithful, as I am coming for  you very soon!

  The truth is Kathleen that none of us like failure in our lives, espcially since we know that we belong to Christ. We want to please Him, but many times "our flesh" gets in the way.  I know all to well how frustrating this is!  But this is the reality of our struggle while we live in these unredeemed bodies, and we will continue to have this battle until Jesus comes!  Yes, sometimes it gets overwhelming as lifes struggles do indeed weigh us down as we live out our lives,  but we can take heart in knowing that our deliverance is coming, and that it is coming soon!  And when we stand in the presence of Jesus, then we will remember our sins no more  just like God has forgotten them, and of which He remembers them no more when we were born again in Christ ( 2 Cor. 5:17 ).

  You and I know that Jesus has paid for it all. And I could spend a lot of time here giving you so many Scripture passages reminding you of this, and of which probably you already know.  Jesus took "all of our punishment" which God the Father laid on Him.  God does not remember our sins anymore once we have come to know Christ.  Therefore no believer in Christ is going to be judged for their sins past, present, and future.  That was already settled at the cross. At the Bema Seat event Christ is only examining "what we did for Him", and He is NOT examining nor dealing with our sin which was already atoned for on the cross.  Thank you God the Father that your remember our sins NO MORE because we are covered by the blood of Jesus!

Here below is one of my favorite Scriptures which is a very powerful reminder of what Christ has accomplished and completed for us all who know Him.

Colossians 2:13, 14......."And when you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our trangressions,  having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, and of which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross."

Thank you Kathleen for sharing your heart with me.  I hope that what I have shared here with you has encouraged you today, and I hope that it will spur you on for Christ.  One day at a time sister!  That's all God expects from us, just one day at a time.  Tomorrow will take care of itself.

  Hang in their sister Kathleen as Jesus is just about ready to come and get us and take us home!   Focus on "this" instead of your failure, and it will lift you up above your emotions of self condemnation which the devil likes to use to "immoblize" all of God's children and make them "ineffective" in God's service as ambassadors for Christ. Don't give him the opportunity to do so. Let us remember that His days are also numbered,  and it won't be long before he will be "put away forever" by the hand of God.

Love you in the Lord!

God bless you today

Until He comes!

In Christ, Tom Gaston
Rapturetj@comcast.net

I copied and pasted the short article below on this subject which I think will bless and encourage you.
 
http://www.gotquestions.org/does-God-forget.html

Question: "Does God really forget our sins? How could an omniscient God forget anything?"

Answer: There are several passages in the Bible that indicate that God forgives and forgets our sin. Isaiah 43:25 says, “I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.” Hebrews 10 explains how Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for sin was a once-and-for-all sacrifice. Unlike the sacrificial system of the Old Testament, in which sacrifices were continually made for sin, Jesus paid for sin once. His payment was complete. Hebrews 10:14–18 says, “For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says: ‘This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.’ Then he adds: ‘Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.’ And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary.”

These passages make it evident that God does not remember our sins. However, God’s “not remembering” is not what we usually think of as forgetfulness. God is omniscient. He knows everything, and He forgets nothing. However, He can choose not to remember something. In human relationships, we can choose to remember the offenses someone has committed against us, or we can choose to forget. To forgive someone, we must often put painful memories out of our minds. We don’t actually forget the sin, and it’s not that we are unable to recall the offense, but we choose to overlook it. Forgiveness prevents us from dwelling on past troubles.

Rather than treating us as our sins deserve, God removes our sins from us “as far as the east is from the west”—an immeasurable distance (Psalm 103:12). Think of travelling around the globe. When does one stop going east and start going west? It is impossible to say. When we are saved, our sins are completely forgiven. This is what the writer of Hebrews is talking about—Jesus made a one-time sacrifice that completely removes our sin. In Christ, we are justified (declared righteous) before God. Romans 8:1 tells us there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ. Romans 8:31–39 is a beautiful discourse on our security in Christ. Sin has no say in our standing with God. We are fully accepted and declared righteous in Him. God does not remember our sins in the way He treats us. Instead, He treats us as righteous. Second Corinthians 5:21 says, “God made him who had no sin [Jesus] to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” In this way, God “forgets” our sins.

Even as Christians, we sin, but we know that God is faithful to forgive (1 John 1:9). God cleanses, and then He moves on. He does not hold our sins over us. Instead, He frees us from the slavery of sin and sets us free to experience a new life. Knowing the complete forgiveness of God in Christ, we can join King Hezekiah in praising our Redeemer: “You have put all my sins behind your back” (Isaiah 38:17). Like Paul, we can forget what is behind and “press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called [us] heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13).

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Thank you for the news clips you send.  I haven't time to really look for them on my own.  Listening and reading the news bites you send excites me.  It is ever so clear that Jesus stands at our door.  If we were left to our own, we would tear ourselves and the world apart over our want for another new phone or big screen tv.  Insanity.

Although I have been a little troubled lately. . .mistakes from my past.  I will have shame over actions from my past.  I will face them with God.  Jesus has covered them, but they are still present.  I still don't really get it.  I guess I get the pieces that are most critical.  Other parts are unclear.

I heard on the news, John Kerry speaking that Israel's retaliation against Palestine may be too violent. . .excessive...  (I'm not certain of his exact wording.). How ridiculous!  How would we respond if our friends and family were being butchered with knives, stones, and more?  With the present administration, I am not sure.  The USA has become very weak in present times. 

As days go by, I feel less and less worthy.  Why did Jesus die such a brutal death for me?  I am so anxious for His return.  I am feeling rather beat up by the world.  Band boosters.  Swim parents.  School.  Husband.  Children.  Children's friends.  It all seems to be too much.  Then I think of Christians in other parts of the world.  My trials are so small.  Trivial. 

Come soon Jesus.  We want to go home.

Thanks for all you do.  Kathleen