Are Your Sins Forgiven? Take Heart!

In the beginning of Matthew 9, a paralytic was brought to Jesus to be healed. Jesus could see the man’s faith in Him. The paralytic clearly believed Christ could heal him.

But Jesus knew there was something the man needed even more than freedom from disability. He needed forgiveness for sins. That is the greatest need of every person, even those who are experiencing great earthly suffering. We should never lose sight of that fact (nor let those we counsel lose sight of it).

The paralytic’s faith in Jesus put him in a position to receive the blessed gift of forgiveness. Jesus gave it to him, declaring, “Your sins are forgiven” (Matthew 9:2). Jesus also explained what effect this gift of forgiveness should have on the man: “Take heart,” he said, or (as some other translations have it) “Take courage,” or “Be of good cheer.” 

Apparently, then, if we know our sins are forgiven by Jesus, that should put great courage in our hearts, and also great cheer in our hearts. So if a forgiven person is a disheartened person (whether in fear and cowardice, or discouragement and gloom), perhaps they are not holding and esteeming the news of forgiveness in their hearts like they should. If we are forgiven, why are we downcast or afraid? What might we be thinking matters more?

Forgiven people can be (and should be) bold and happy, even if they have other very significant troubles and problems that persist. Jesus told the paralytic in Matthew 9 that he should “take heart” over being forgiven before He gave the man any indication or guarantee that He was going to heal his paralysis. So if the man had to leave this encounter with Jesus still paralyzed, Jesus expected (and exhorted!) him to leave still encouraged. Christ had given him something better than healthy legs!

Our thinking and desires have gotten skewed somehow if we are not emboldened and made glad by the forgiveness we have through faith in Christ. A Christian should never settle for a shallow, unimpressed view of God’s forgiveness that does nothing for his heart.

Jesus poured out His blood for the forgiveness of our sins. Is that true for you? Then take heart!