…another word that is bigger than we give it credit for.

Psalm 103:3 who forgives ALL (emphasis added) your iniquity, who heals ALL (emphasis added) your diseases.

ESV

In today’s blog, I will break down the first part of this verse. However, I think it is important to get a firm grip on that little three-letter word ALL. For if we do not grasp how much all is, we will hang onto things God forgives us for and heals us from.

Strongs: all H3605 kōl: 1. all, the whole. (A) all, the whole of (B) all, the whole of (C) any, each, every, anything (D) totally, everything. Websters all: the whole number. Whole: (1) all; total (2) complete; entire; not defective or imperfect (3) unimpaired, unbroken; uninjured (4) sound; not hurt or sick (5) restored to health and soundness; sound; well. Totally: wholly; entirely, fully, completely.

I’m going to say this really loud for the people in the back…

ALL IS ALL!

If, as we are looking at the rest of this verse, we start thinking about all the things we’ve done or said and you start falling into the “There is no way God could ever forgive me for that,” trap, stop immediately and reread the definition. Now, let’s move on.

Strongs who forgives (who pardons KJV) H5545 sālah: forgive, pardon. Websters forgive: To pardon; to remit, as an offense or debt; to overlook an offense, and treat the offender as not guilty. The original and proper phrase is to forgive the offense, to send it away, to reject it, that is, not to impute it, [put it to] the offender. But by an easy transition, we also use the phrase, to forgive the person offending.

Strongs your iniquities H5771 āôn: 1. perversity; depravity; iniquity; guilt or punishment of iniquity (A) iniquity (B) guilt, guilt (as great), guilt (of condition) (C) consequence of or punishment for iniquity. Websters iniquity: (1) injustice; unrighteousness (3) A particular deviation from rectitude; a sin or crime; wickedness; any act of injustice. (4) Original want of holiness or depravity. Guilt: Criminality; that state of a moral agent which results from his actual commission of a crime or offense, knowing it to be a crime, or violation of law. To constitute guilt there must be a moral agent enjoying freedom of will, and capable of distinguishing between right and wrong, and a wilful or intentional violation of a known law, or rule of duty. The guilt of a person exists, as soon as the crime is committed; but to evince it to others, it must be proved by confession, or conviction in due course of law. guilt renders a person a debtor to the law, as it binds him to pay a penalty in money or suffering. guilt therefore implies both criminality and liableness to punishment. guilt may proceed either from a positive act or breach of law, or from voluntary neglect of known duty.

“Guilt renders a person a debtor to the law, as it binds him to pay a penalty in money or suffering,” hit me hard, especially the words it binds him. I have heard people say, “But if I hold onto the guilt it will remind me to never do fill in the blank again. Which is, in essence, saying, “I would rather bind up my heart with guilt than allow Jesus to heal it. Why?!

I mean think about it…how many of us want someone to bind our hands and feet to a chair? I don’t believe any of us would! We would struggle and do everything we could get out of it and if we couldn’t, we would pray that someone would come and untie us. Even our favorite movie heros will fight to get free…

Indiana Jones and Dr. Henry Jones didn’t sit and allow the fire to consume them, thinking, “I’m not going to try and get free because this will teach me not to search for ancient artifacts.” No! They fought to get free.

Here’s the absolute amazing thing, our freedom is not dependent on us frantically trying to figure out how to get free. Our freedom comes in the form of surrender. Surrendering that thing that wants to keep us bound. Surrendering that shame, guilt, sin, heartache, etc. that we think will keep us from doing whatever it is we did again. Because the only way we will not do it again, is to allow Jesus to set us free from it. And how do we allow Jesus to set us free from it? We remember that Jesus forgives ALL and all we have to do is surrender it.

Father thank you that you forgive ALL our iniquities! Thank you Jesus for going to the cross on our behalf and forgiving ALL our iniquities! Thank you Holy Spirit for speaking to our hearts concerning the things that bind us and helping us to surrender them ALL. You have forgiven ALL, I will surrender ALL and I will accept the freedom offered in Jesus. In Jesus name, Amen.