When we believe the gospel and receive Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord, God's gracious plans are at work in us (1 Thessalonians 2:13). Through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, we enter a new covenant relationship with God. Christ comes to live in our hearts (Ephesians 3:17), and we also hear the voice of the Holy Spirit. He assures us that we belong to God and have special privileges.

The first privilege mentioned in these verses is that God's law (what He requires of us) is no longer an external rulebook. It is being written on our hearts, where our desires are set and decisions made; and in our minds, where we link together the jigsaw of life to inform our decision-making. Because Christ lives in our hearts (Ephesians 3:17), His Spirit communicates with our spirit, guiding us into all truth (John 16:13). He does this in conjunction with His written Word, the divinely authorised apostolic doctrines – but they are not lifeless rules, they are life-giving as the Spirit applies them to us. Our hearts and minds then store what God has said so that we know how to relate with Him and please Him.

The second privilege is that God chooses that He will never again remember our sins and rebellious attitudes. God cannot forget anything like we do sometimes, His knowledge of everything is perfect; but He refuses to keep a record of sins that have been forgiven (1 Corinthians 13:5). He therefore holds no accusation over our heads (Colossians 1:22), and gives us a clean conscience (Hebrews 10:22). That is all because the sacrifice of Jesus is completely effective for all the people, of all the world, for all time (Hebrews 10:12).

In the busyness of life, it is easy to forget how privileged we are; we who have believed the gospel and trusted in the saving grace of Christ. The God who knew us before we were born, and planned for our salvation before we sinned, has chosen to pay the punishment-price of our sin, totally forgive us and then come to live within us, personally confirming to our hearts what He loves and what He hates, and has chosen not to remember our sins ever again. And yet these truths are easily submerged, even in our religious activities. Hold them fast, refresh your soul with them and grow in confidence each day as you trust the Lord who gave Himself for you. And tell your friends that this same Jesus invites them to trust Him too.