LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 2010, Page 74

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74

CONVENTION BIBLE STUDIES

who satisfies you with good
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s .
(vv . 1–5)
Can forgiveness of our iniquity really lead to healing? Can
forgiveness actually redeem our life from the pit of depression? Can forgiveness truly satisfy our desires with good
things so that our youth is renewed like the eagle’s?
Diego6 was failing as a seminary student . He had become
a Christian in his teenage years, committing his life to Christ .
He wanted to serve his Lord through the pastoral ministry and
so had enrolled at the seminary .
But Diego’s past haunted him . As a young boy, he was
introduced to sexual activity and engaged in all sorts of deviant behavior . When he came to faith he tried to put away his
sinful life . He was able to stop physical contact but continued
to satisfy his lusts with Internet pornography . At seminary, he
learned just how abhorrent his behavior was to God, and he
fell into depression . When he tried to forget, he would replay
in his mind the sinful things he had done . It was like a nightmare movie that he could not turn off .
How could God stand such a sinful creature as he? Surely
he was unworthy of the high calling he was pursuing . Diego
could not forgive himself .
His concentration slumped and his grades fell . Some days
he couldn’t get out of bed to go to class . He lost hope as his
depression increased . None of his friends or professors could
console him .
Diego sought counsel from a reconciler, who helped him
see that his lack of forgiveness for himself was a form of idolatry . Diego placed the importance of his personal forgiveness
above God’s forgiveness, and he took the place of God by condemning himself . Just like Jonah wanted God’s forgiveness
to be withheld from the Ninevites, Diego determined that he
was unworthy of God’s absolution . Therefore, he withheld
forgiveness, even God’s forgiveness, from himself .
As Diego began to see his act of withholding forgiveness
from himself as idolatrous, the reconciler reminded him that
as sinner and saint every one of us struggles with our sinful
flesh . He asked Diego to read Romans 7:19–24:
For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want
is what I keep on doing . Now if I do what I do not want, it is
no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me . So I find it
to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand .
For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in
my members another law waging war against the law of my
mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my
members . Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from
this body of death?

Diego exclaimed: “That is me! I have read these words
before, but I never thought how my own struggles are like
that of St . Paul’s .”
The reconciler directed, “And now read Paul’s answer in
verse 25 .”
“Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”
Diego’s eyes began to fill with tears .
2010 Convention Proceedings

The reconciler reminded Diego that there is nothing he can
do on his own to earn favor with God or even himself . But he
need not do that . God through Christ has done it all already .
He asked Diego to read Romans 8:1, inserting his own name
into the verse .
“There is therefore now no condemnation for [Diego] who
[is] in Christ Jesus .” Diego wept for minutes at this good news .
“Diego, read those words again .” Diego cried some more .
“One more time .” The third time Diego was too spent to cry .
This led to a time of private absolution, where Diego confessed those things that tormented him, and he heard those
precious words for him, “God forgives you for Jesus’ sake .
You are forgiven . Christ Himself bore your sins in His body
on the tree, that you might die to sins and live to righteousness . By His wounds you have been healed .”
Because Diego had rehearsed his evil images for so long,
the reconciler gave him some Bible verses with God’s promises of forgiveness to read out loud to himself whenever he
doubted . Diego praised God for forgiveness in Jesus Christ .
Diego’s depression left him . His grades improved dramatically, and today he is serving as a pastor who knows the power
of forgiveness .
Fellow beggars, hear this good news . God is with you now .
He knows everything about you, and nonetheless, He loves
you and forgives you for Jesus’ sake . Through Christ, He
makes us ONE People—Forgiven!
What do you believe about the power of forgiveness for
ONE People—Forgiven?
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is His steadfast love toward those who fear
Him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far does He remove our transgressions from us .
As a father shows compassion to his children,
so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear
Him .
Bless the Lord, all His works,
in all places of His dominion .
Bless the Lord, O my soul! (Psalm 103:11–13, 22)
We pray .
O God, we come before You as beggars, for we have nothing good to bring on our own . Forgive us for our sins against
You and others and for minimizing our sin . Thank You for
loving us so much that You intervened in our conflict with
You . We bless You, Father, for giving us Your only Son . We
glorify You, Jesus, for reconciling us while we were yet sinners . We praise You, Holy Spirit, for giving us faith and life
in Christ . Be with us always, Lord, as You promise . Fill us
with Your hope that we might never forget the gift of Your
forgiveness . Empower us to live as Your children, forgiving
others as You have forgiven us . We ask this in the precious
name of Jesus . Amen .