Marks of a Forgiven Soul

 Let me set down in order the leading marks of a forgiven soul,

1. Forgiven souls hate sin. If you and sin are friends, you and God are not yet reconciled. You are not fit for heaven; for one main part of heaven's excellence is the absence of all sin.

2. Forgiven souls love Christ. This is that one thing they can say, if they dare say nothing else, they do love Christ. His person, His offices, His work, His name, His cross, His blood, His words, His example, His ordinances—all, all are precious to forgiven souls. The ministry which exalts Him most is that which they enjoy most. The books which are most full of Him are most pleasant to their minds. The people on earth they feel most drawn to are those in whom they see something of Christ.

3. Forgiven souls are humble. They cannot forget that they owe all they have and hope for to free grace, and this keeps them lowly. They are brands plucked from the fire, debtors who could not pay for them-selves, captives who must have remained in prison forever but for undeserved mercy, wandering sheep who were ready to perish when the Shepherd found them! We have nothing we can call our own but sin and weakness. Surely there is no garment that befits us so will as humility.

4. Forgiven souls are holy. Their chief desire is to please Him who has saved them, to do His will, to glorify Him in body and in Spirit, which are His. Pardon of sin and love of sin are like oil and water; they will never go together. All who are washed in the blood of Christ are also sanctified by the Spirit of Christ.

5. Forgiven souls are forgiving. They do as they have been done by. They look over the offenses of their brethren. They remember how God for Chris's sake forgave them and endeavor to do the same toward their fellow creatures. Surely we know nothing of Christs love to us but the name of it if we do not love our brethren.

Adapted from Our Great Redeemer: 365 Days with J. C. Ryle