Read: Psalm 32

Psalm 32 says that those whose sins are forgiven are blessed. Why is it so important that our sins are forgiven?

God created people because he wanted to have a relationship with us. He wanted us to praise and worship him. In paradise God walked in the garden with Adam and Eve and talked with them. And God still wants to live with his children today.

But, because of the fall into sin, this relationship with God is not the same anymore. God cannot have this close friendship with sinful people. God is a holy God, and we are sinful and wicked. Because God is holy, he is very angry with sin. And because God is a just God, he cannot just ignore sins, but sin needs to be punished. And the only way to do that is by having the person who sinned go to hell forever. We deserve to go to hell forever.

But God is not only a just God; he is also a gracious God. And because God still wants to have a relationship with his children, he has made a way for us to escape this punishment of hell. He has made a way possible for someone else to be punished with hell instead of us.

In the Old Testament, before the people could come and worship in the temple, they first had to sacrifice an animal. In order to worship holy God, their sins first needed to be taken away and forgiven. God could not allow sinful people into the temple to worship him. And so, an animal was killed instead of the person. God accepted the person into the temple to worship because the animal was killed instead of them.

These sacrifices pointed to Jesus Christ. Today we can be forgiven and worship the Lord because Jesus Christ died on the cross instead of us. Yes, we are sinful, but Jesus Christ was punished and killed instead of us, just like the animal had to be sacrificed instead of the people in the Old Testament. And so, we may be God’s beloved children!

Reflection with your child:

Why is it such a blessing to have our sins forgiven?

Source: Sermon by Rev. R.D. Anderson