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| Photo Credit: Kelsey Rath 2013 |
It can be downright maddening, and something changes in the
relationship. A wedge forms and separation begins.
I wonder if this is how God feels when we pretend we’re not
guilty or we make excuses. Does it drive Him nuts when we choose to be stubborn
and not confess our sins to Him?
If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts. 1 John 1:8-10 NLT
God doesn’t expect us to be perfect. He
knows our sinfulness, and yet, He still wants to be with us. So much so, that
He sent Jesus to bridge the gap we could never cross.
He wants a one-on-one, personal
relationship with each of us. And because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, we
can have that relationship with God.
We can go directly to Him with a repentant
heart and receive His forgiveness. And with His forgiveness, He washes us
clean.
And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins. Hebrews 8:12, Jeremiah 31:34 NLT
God promises that when we confess our sins to Him, He hears
us and forgives us. And He chooses to not remember them. He won’t remind us of
what we’ve done wrong, even when faced with the consequences of our sin. He
won’t keep a list and bring it up over and over.
I—yes, I alone—will blot out your sins for my own sake and will never think of them again. Isaiah 43:25 NLT
Never think of them again. Washed clean.
What a wonderful, loving promise!
And yet, despite His promise, how often do we decide our sin
is just too great to approach Him?
How often are we stubborn and pretend we didn’t do anything
wrong? As if God doesn’t already know.
He knows. And He still loves us.
Nothing can separate us from His love. (Romans 8:38) But an
unrepentant heart can drive a wedge in our relationship with Him. A wedge that
leads to separation. Not because of Him, but because of us.
So, He waits. And when we’re ready to turn back to Him, He’s
there.
Patiently waiting.
Is there a time when you knew you were being stubborn and
not turning to God?
We're in chapter 5 this week, "Embrace Sin...how could he love me after all I've done?" in Embrace Grace by Liz Curtis Higgs.
We're in chapter 5 this week, "Embrace Sin...how could he love me after all I've done?" in Embrace Grace by Liz Curtis Higgs.
In Christ,
Dear Laura
ReplyDeleteWhen we live closely in our Lord Jesus we can be sure He will convict us in our conscience when we have done wrong! That is where it happens! If your conscience is clear then all is well, but if not, go to Him and find out what you did wrong!
Lots of love XX
Mia
Thank you for linking up with WholeHearted Home this past week. You know, your post is so easy to read and internalize what you are sharing. The layout is light and airy making it so easy to read. I read a LOT of blog posts, so what I am saying is really meant to uplift you today.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, it can be so hard when someone does us wrong and does not apologize and continues doing similar things until the gap starts to widen. I find it is my responsibility to bridge that gap and pray for that person. This isn't easy nor something I can do in my own strength.
Hi Laura! I am coming to you from Thought Provoking Thursday.
ReplyDeleteI am always so glad that the Lord is not like me. I know what you mean about being frustrated with people who don't apologize. My goodness, how ironic! I don't like to apologize much either! But God is there when I do, so I will practice, practice, practice!
So nice to meet you today!
Ceil