As an adult, have you ever slipped up and done something wrong that's left you feeling like a little kid in trouble again? It's like, we knooow we're not going to be perfect because well, only Jesus was perfect... but we still try our best to be as close to it as possible, right?
Some people don't, and that's farely evident. We see those among us who read John 3:16 and stop there...as if that's the one and only sentence in the Bible. Well it's not. The Bible instructs us to live a certain way, and it even says that when you truly accept Jesus into your life as Lord and Savior, you are given a new nature. So the folks who claim to have been saved but continue prancing about life in their sinful ways have not yet truly let Jesus in.
Of course, it is true what the Scripture says that Christ paid the price for our sins and that we are forgiven by God's grace through that sacrifice. That doesn't mean though that we have a free pass to just sin sin sin!! Salvation in Christ isn't a "get out of jail free" card... It's not a coupon you can redeem prior to committing a sin...
Many times I've heard humans say something along the lines of "Lord, forgive me for what I'm about to do"... Well I'm sorry to tell you this friends, but it simply doesn't work like that. Now I'm not a pastor or a student of theology or anything, but I express my thoughts here as guided by the Holy Spirit. So when I say, God will forgive us a hundred times (similar to how he did David) so long as our heart is genuinely repentful and we are not premeditating sinful acts. Christians who like to think they can sin as much as they want, go to church on a Sunday, and say "Lord forgive me" and be in the clear...truly mistaken. It's about what's in your heart, and when your heart is truly and authentically sorry for a wrong that has been done, you feel it deeply in your soul and want God's grace to not only forgive you but to make you better so that you can be pleasing to Him.
So that brings me to you and I... What about those of us who try and try and TRY to be good and righteous humans but occasionally still find themselves in the wrong boat? That's right... "Saved, sanctified, and Holy Ghost filled" but still managed to slip off the wagon into sin... What about that, huh??
Well, I tell ya, just like a child that's messed up and knows their parent is going to be mad... That's how it can feel when you're trying to live upright before God and you fall short. The good news is... God knows allll about us 😊 He knew about that sin you committed a few days ago... He knew about the one you committed last month... He knows about the one you'll commit next year!! And guess what, He knew all of this before you were even born 💁🏽 That's right.
The Bible says that God knows each and every day that will happen in a person's life before they even leave the womb. How great a God do we serve, right?! 🙌🏽 So friends, even though we feel like heaping trash when we make a mistake or commit a sinful act or have a sinful thought, our God is still right there with open arms to accept us and pour His grace onto us. When He sees the pain in our hearts for what we have done and accept that He has already paid the price for that sin, we can rest in His peace 🙏🏽 The peace that is promised and the one that surpasses all understanding.
So yeah... I know it can be hard to fall off. You might think to yourself "well, I know my sins have already been forgiven... but still..." But still is right! But still our God loves us! But still our God is ready to strengthen and restore us! Amen! But still our God is so wonderful and merciful that just like a loving parent embraces their crying child after they've messed up, so then does our Father in Heaven envelope us in His love.
Accepting God's forgiveness can sometimes be a little hard when you struggle to forgive yourself. But that is a part of moving on. You repent from the heart, ask God to strengthen you so as to not fall victim to the same sin, and then you forgive yourself. Through this process, God will use those errors for good. They may become a testimony that you share with someone else down the road. They may suddenly become a turning point for change in your life...
So, when you find yourself feeling every bit of not perfect, just remember, God's knows your heart and is ready to accept you.
Still struggling to get over something that's happened? Not sure how to ask for or accept God's forgiveness?
Let's pray about it...
B.B.S.S
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