I read this at 4:30 this morning and was blessed by
it. I am sure you would be as well. Have a great day everyone and keep
smiling!
Vince B
Are you quick to forgive someone who has wronged
you and move forward without ever revisiting the experience? If you can easily
look past another’s faults and shortcomings, surely you can do the same for
yourself. Often when we have missed the mark, we forget that the same
forgiveness that we afford others is available to us as well. God wants to
forgive you the same way He would any other person who earnestly seeks his face.
He doesn’t want you to condemn yourself and revisit the situation, the act, the
mistake or sin, ever again.
Regardless of the sin, when you sincerely
repent in your heart and turn away from those things that displease God, He is
faithful to forgive you. He has already promised you forgiveness because of the
blood of Jesus Christ. If you believe you are forgiven, don’t carry around the
guilt of your past mistakes. That’s self-condemnation and God has set you free
from it.
The key to maintaining your freedom from condemnation is
understanding the righteousness of God. When you accept Jesus Christ as your
Lord and Savior by faith, you are made righteous and are in right-standing with
the Father (Romans 3:22). This simply means that you have a right to come boldly
to God’s throne of grace and receive forgiveness of your sins, get answers to
your prayers and experience freedom from sin.
When you know that you are
righteous in God’s eyes through the blood of Jesus, you will begin to see
yourself differently. You will no longer carry around a sin-consciousness;
instead, you will walk with your head up, knowing that God is looking at you
through His Son Jesus. This is by no means an excuse to continue to sin. It is
the way out of sin and the guilt and condemnation that comes with it.
The way Jesus pardoned the woman in the Bible who was caught in the act
of adultery, and was publicly persecuted (John 8:1-11), is an example of the
power of God’s forgiveness. Jesus released her from her sin and told her to turn
from her sinful lifestyle. He didn’t condemn her, but loved her instead. Like
that woman, you have access to God’s love and forgiveness when you confess your
sin and turn away from it. He loves you enough to say, “No matter what you’ve
done, you’ve come to Me, I know your heart and I forgive you. Now, let’s not
talk about this again.”
If you’ve missed the mark, don’t punish yourself
with self-condemnation, which is from the enemy. Worrying and becoming
frustrated with yourself are negative behaviors that don’t reflect the thoughts
of God. He doesn’t want you to live this way. Once you’ve received forgiveness,
there’s no need to worry about what others may say about you. God’s love brings
restoration.
Rest assured that God desires each and every one of His
children to have peace of mind, a pure heart and freedom from condemnation. The
wisdom found in His Word will help you gain the confidence you need to keep
moving forward when you make mistakes.