Is there any actual benefit to being a Christian?
God is in a good mood with everyone, because of Jesus. He doesn’t distinguish. The only difference between Christians and others is that Christians see, know, and are assured of God’s goodness and attitude toward us in Jesus.
But is there any value or point to that? Christians still suffer, grow old and die, just like everyone else. Many Muslims, Atheists, and people with no interest in Jesus are living perfectly ordinary lives. Many of them much more successful than us.
So, what difference does having faith in Jesus actually make?
Psalm 103 was written by King David, and it’s written in a way that sounds like he was by this point an older man looking back on the trials and problems of his life.
But David is not sentimental, he’s not unrealistic. He’s grounded and down to earth. He writes about what God’s forgiveness is doing for you right now. Not just the fact that you’re objectively forgiven —but the actual benefits from knowing and receiving that forgiveness. And what that forgiveness means even when everything else is passing away. David prayerfully reflects on three things: 1) God’s forgiveness undoes sin and its consequences 2) God’s forgiveness is working even as our lives pass away 3) God’s forgiveness benefits those who trust it
So first, 1) God’s forgiveness undoes sin and its consequences
Please look with me again at vv. 1-5:
Psalm 103 Of David. 1 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! 2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, 3 who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, 4 who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, 5 who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
All God’s benefits are essentially this: He “Forgives all your iniquity.” On the cross Jesus forgave everyone’s sin—past tense. But as his Word comes to you and you trust it, you receive that forgiveness—present tense.
And when you receive God’s forgiveness, you receive all the consequences of it.
Our sin and guilt are what brought sickness, death, misery, emptiness, and decay into the world. God has removed everyone’s guilt. But people out there don’t know about it. They’re living as though their guilt remains —either trying to ignore it —or trying to make up for it —or fighting the consequences of it.
But you and I know our guilt is gone. And so, we live with all our sufferings now because God our Father calls us to this. We live knowing that every moment has positive purpose, because we live knowing our sins are forgiven. That doesn’t mean Christians never get sick. It means sickness doesn’t define you, and isn’t the final thing that will happen. The Christian and the non-Christian may both lie in the same cancer ward. Their bodies may be undergoing exactly the same physical decay. But the Christian knows something: my Father has forgiven me. This cancer cannot mean he has rejected me. It cannot separate me from him. It cannot destroy the future he has promised me.
And when Jesus returns, God really will heal every one of your diseases. Your body will be raised, restored, and made whole.
God “redeems your life from the pit.” You will still die physically. But that death is only now a falling asleep. You know that for sure. I know that for sure. But the person out there living without the benefit of Christ’s forgiveness really will die—their body will come back, corrupt.
God “crowns you with steadfast love and mercy.” He surrounds you with love and compassion. He really does actually care about you —and you can ask him to help.
God “satisfies you with good.” Every good you have does not depend on you; you are free from that responsibility. It’s his grace.
And “your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” Even while your body is presently wearing out, forgiveness tells you God is taking it toward resurrection. 1) God’s forgiveness undoes sin and its consequences So don’t forget God’s benefits —because that’s what faith is seeing forgiveness, receiving and enjoying it.
And if you’re not receiving that forgiveness: Sickness becomes something you simply have to fear. Death becomes something you have to avoid for as long as possible. You have to find your own worth; make your own life good; hold onto your youth before it’s lost forever. You end up trying to fight for yourself against everything sin has done. And while, God is saying to you: Your sins are forgiven. Let me give you the benefits. You’re too distracted to receive and enjoy them because you’re trying fight the battle he’s already won.
And so, David drills down into our actual daily experience in point 2: 2) God’s forgiveness is working even as our lives pass away Please look at vv. 6-14:
6 The LORD works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. 7 He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel. 8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. 9 He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. 10 He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. 13 As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him. 14 For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.
What David’s saying is this: because you are forgiven, God is no longer dealing with you according to your sins. He is dealing with you in mercy throughout them.
Of course, in this life, because of the structure of the world, we all still experiencing the temporal consequences of sin. That’s the point of vv. 15-16:
15 As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; 16 for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more.
But God doesn’t want you to experience the consequences of sin. And He isn’t dealing with you on the basis of your sin. I say this a lot—because we find it so hard to take in. David says it with absolutely no uncertainty in v. 10, look there:
He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.
What David’s saying is this: —God is not punishing you. —God is never punishing you. —God will never punish you.
So don’t misread other language the Bible uses. God disciplines the sons he loves—yes. —just as God disciplined his sinless son Christ. But that is not what we often think discipline is, because:
He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.
Even though the effects of sin are all around us: —the effects of the first sin —and the effects of our own sins. And even though we live with those effects: God is not the one who wants us to experience them. And God is good to you and has a positive purpose for you in them.
But if you have no idea about God’s forgiveness, or you ignore it, or you resist it, then that will mean nothing to you, because of David’s third point: 3) God’s forgiveness benefits those who trust it
Please look with me again at vv. 17-19:
17 But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children, 18 to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments. 19 The LORD has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all.
While God has forgiven all people in Christ, and has mercy and love for all people in Christ, it is only those who are in Christ who receive it. One way the Bible says that is to talk about God’s love being “on” those who are in Christ. That’s what David says in v. 17: the Lord’s love is “on those who fear him.” In John’s Gospel he talks about God’s wrath remaining “on” those in unbelief. That doesn’t mean God’s in a bad mood with them, hasn’t forgiven them in Christ, or is refusing to be merciful to them. It means they are refusing his mercy, and are living under the wrath that Christ has already borne for them.
But if you look at Christ, trust him, rely on him, David says God’s steadfast love to you is everlasting. Which means he’s not just committed to you: he’s committed to the people you care about. Did you see that in v. 17? His righteousness to children’s children.
Trust God for your kids—and so tell them about his forgiveness. Trust God for your grandkids—and so give them the means of grace. God is not grudging toward you; he doesn’t need to be persuaded to care about your kids. He already loves them in Christ —and now that you are in Christ, he’s even more reason to care for them because you are his and they’re your kids.
There is nowhere where his Word will not be at work. No family context, no country, no situation, no exam failure, no work context, no disappointment, no long term hurt, and no mistake can ever rob the Word of its power. Because, v. 19: God’s throne is in the heavens.
That’s why David ends with this encouragement to go and tell people this amazing Word of mercy, vv. 20-22:
20 Bless the LORD, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, obeying the voice of his word! 21 Bless the LORD, all his hosts, his ministers, who do his will! 22 Bless the LORD, all his works, in all places of his dominion. Bless the LORD, O my soul!