Unforgiven....

"In Him we have redemption through His blood, the FORGIVENESS of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace" Ephesians 1:7

I love non-fictional action-drama movies. You know the ones where the main character is slightly imperfect, but by some means of adrenaline and pure drive, are able to get themselves out of deadly situations. I love these characters because they are usually the strong, smart, witty, resourceful, and sometimes, cute (lol). Give me movies like the Bourne Identity, Bourne Supremacy, Bourne Ultimatum, any of the Die Hard Series, Lethal Weapon I, II, III, & IV, Ironman, and just recently, the Book of Eli (go Denzel!!!). Although I've seen a few love story type of movies (and enjoyed them)....they are not my first pick at the box office. One of my all time favorite movies is Unforgiven, with Clint Eastwood and Morgan Freeman (two of my favorite actors). I absolutely LOVE this movie!

The movie was about a man named William Munny , played by Eastwood, who was a widower with two young children. He used to be a very vicious gunfighter, but after marrying, gave up gunfighting, drinking, and most other vices. His wife, the catalyst of change in his life, died of smallpox in 1878, but he continued to try to eke out a living with his children on their hog farm, and to try to be the kind of man he believed his late wife would have wanted him to be. In the movie, Munny takes on one last job: retrieving an outlaw for pay. Munny recruits his former gun-slinging partner, Ned, played by Freeman, to help with the quest. They partner with a young, ignorant, half blind gunslinger, who, along with the town Sherriff-Villain (Hackman), ends up making, what should of been a simple quest, complicated. Without giving the whole movie away...numerous events happen that led to the revelation of Munny's former life. Word spread quickly of his former evils and the show down was set to take place. (You will have to get the movie to find out what happen....it's worth the trip to the video store, I promise.)

This movie came rushing back to me on yesterday when I was dealing with a personal situation. It seemed that my past was again resurfacing, unsolicited. For a quick minute, I felt like the Munny character from the movie: just can't get a break from the past, no matter what I do, no matter how much a live right...my past seems to always be looming there, waiting to pounce on me. I will be the first to confess, that I have not lived a perfect, sinless life. I have made mistakes that has brought pain and hurt to me, and others. As a matter of fact I seem to mess up some kind of way everyday ~ needing His grace to once again love and sustain me. But as I said, I felt that condemnation for a quick minute because the Holy Spirit was on the job, as usual. The scripture promises us that the Holy Spirit would lead us into all truth (John 16:13) and bring all things (truths) to our remembrance (John 14:26). And Just as quickly as the condemnation of my past came, the reminder of my forgiveness and redemption through the blood of Jesus resounded from the Holy Spirit. Hallelujah! 

The Holy Spirit began to flood my spirit with reminders of Jesus love for me. He reminded me that my past, is just that, the past. And although man holds on, and tries to get you to do the same, our heavenly Father remembers it no more. The scripture promises that He would remove our iniquities far from us:"As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us" Psalms 103:12. Our sins of the past are thrown into the sea of forgetfulness when Jesus is Lord of our life.

 

I am rejoicing as I am reminded today that.....I am a sinner, FORGIVEN by a gracious Father (Ephesians 2:8). I am a sinner, REDEEMED by the precious shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:14). I am a sinner, no longer under condemnation, but under GRACE (Romans 8:1). I am a sinner, walking in His loving kindness and His tender mercies (Lamentations 3:22-23). I reminded that I am no longer bound by sin, no longer attached to my past, but FREE to live for Him (Romans 6). All praise, honor and glory be to Him!

For those of you who know Jesus as personal Lord and Saviour, be FREE today. Let your past be the past. Know that you ARE forgiven: Old things have past away and all is new (2 Corinthians 5:17). You ARE a new creature (a totally transformed being) in Him. Your yesterday is not your today and does not determine your future. 

If you don't know the love of Jesus personally and He is not Lord of your life, I admonish you to ask Him into your heart today. Know that you, too, can be set free from your past. You no longer have to live under the condemnation of mistakes and hurts of the past. The Lord Jesus loves and desires to have personal relationship with you:to give you a new life in him, one that is abundant (John 10:10). Receive His free gift today!!

"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." Romans 10:9-10

I am so grateful to my Lord today. He LOVES me so (and you, too). Any beauty, and I do mean any, that is seen in my life has only been by His continuous mercy and grace. He has truly made me beautiful in His time (Ecc 3:11). ALL Glory be to Him, forevermore. Amen.

"But God commendeth (showed) his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" Romans 5:8

 

My Love Song to HIM! Dorothy C.