Forgiveness Is A Promise
Hello Victors! If you’re reading this, that is indeed what you are because here at The Victory Collective, we believe that we are more than conquerors in Christ (Romans 8:37).
If you read the last blog post, I challenged you to remember your path to true victory and that it doesn’t come from you, but from Jesus Christ alone. Check it out here.
It has been a busy few weeks for me as we are inching closer to the end of a school year. My school year ends May 17th, so you can believe I am counting down the days. When April began we had special meetings at my church where we had a special speaker come and share God’s word with us Sunday-Wednesday nights, and it was such an encouragement. That weekend (last weekend) I got to go with my friend to a ladies conference in NC and again, my soul was refreshed.
I realized very quickly when I came back from the conference with my friend, Satan did not like that I spent time growing closer to God and he was going to do everything he could to get in my thoughts and secret places. But let me remind you, because Jesus died on the cross for you and me, we are no longer slaves to sin but alive to God. One way we continue to be alive to God instead of to our flesh is to use tools that He’s given us to add to our faith. Memorizing scripture and reading books (I love to read).
So that’s what I did. When I returned from my trip I decided to start a book that I had ordered and so far it has been such a blessing. It is called A Dozen Things God Did with Your Sin And Three Things He’ll Never Do by Sam Storms you can buy it on Amazon here. I want to share with you today something that stood out to me here and it reminded me how far God’s forgiveness reaches.
King David is an example of one who loved the Lord yet still messed up and sin took him farther than he ever wanted to go, his sin cost him much. This passage reminds me that Jesus’ forgiveness still touches my sin, no matter how “big” it might seem.
Psalm 32:1-5 says Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah
In the book I mentioned above the author states “Why do you think David goes into such verbal lengths to portray his sin? My sense is that he does so to emphasize that every sin, any sin, whatever its cause or character, no matter how small or big, secret or public, international or inadvertent, can be forgiven.”
As Christians we cannot rely on feelings yet there are many times when we simply don’t feel forgiven. Yet, even here David said once he confessed his transgressions, God forgave the iniquity of his sin. And that is still a solid truth for us today. Do you believe that? Do you believe what 1 John 1:9 says- If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Friend, there is no limit to God’s forgiveness. What I believe happens is we choose instead to keep silent and in that dark silence we choose to believe God cannot or will not forgive so we do not go to Him. Uncomfortable as it may be, confession must come before forgiveness can be granted. But with God, forgiveness is always promised.
Look back at Psalm 32. That word forgiven in vs 1 means to carry away, as though a weight was lifted from our shoulders. He then says that sin can be covered, as in, when we choose to uncover our sin to God he will not unveil it again. Forgiveness brings freedom my friend. Don’t be afraid to keep running to him. His love bids you welcome.
Your gold nugget this week is a song that I played on my way home from church on Sunday. May it encourage your heart this week- Love Still Bids You Welcome