A Fresh Start

 

 

 

 

 

 

2 God , my God, I yelled for help

and you put me together.

3 God , you pulled me out of the grave,

gave me another chance at life

when I was down-and-out.

(THE MESSAGE)

Have you ever messed up?  Really messed up?  Have you done things that were so stupid that it was hard for others to forgive you?  Have you done things so disgraceful that you find it impossible to forgive yourself?  Most of us have been there.  At least once, and often more times than that.

As humans we have the capacity to make our own choices.  Even after we come to Christ, we get to perpetually,  "Choose you this day whom you will serve." Some days we choose God and we sow  good seeds that bring blessings.  Other days we sow bad seeds, and reap  a crop of corruption or destruction.  Humans are uniquely wired to chart our own destiny, or stink it up big time.

The good news is,  that there is another chance to be had.  You have not gone so far that His grace cannot reach down and pull you out of the pit in which you have fallen.   He can break that substance addition, pornography addiction, unholy ties in extramarital relationships, he can mend your relationships,  and he can deliver you from your explosive temper. God brings you good news today.  He wants to restore you.  No matter what you struggle with.

God wants to offer you a fresh start.  A clean slate.  The Bible says it best,

Ps 130:3-4

 

3 If You, Lord , should mark iniquities,

O Lord, who could stand?

4 But there is forgiveness with You,

That You may be feared.

NKJV

We all enjoy the New Year because it represents a clean tablet on which to write our lives.  But truthfully, unless something changes on the inside of us, New Year is just another day in the life. But when God gets a hold of us, he truly wipes the slate clean.  Every abominable, despicable sin is completely blotted out never to be remembered against us anymore.  Our names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.  Our nature is changed. We are reborn. 

 

Job 33:29-30
“God gives each of us chance after chance to be saved from death and brought into the light that gives life.” (CEV)

Isn't that good news?  He offers bona-fide, soul-cleansing forgiveness today.  No matter your past, Jesus' blood is potent enough to wash you white as snow!  People may not forgive so easily, but one thing is sure, you can be fully embraced in the arms of Jesus today.  You can be brand new.  You can face your future without fear or dread hanging over your head because he is offering you hope, acceptance and a joy-filled life.

Dear Lord, thank you for second chances.  Thank you that you do not "throw us away" when we mess up.  Cleanse me today, O God, and wipe my slate clean.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

 

 

 

Account Limit

 

“I write to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.” I John 2:12

 

In today’s passage, John is writing to the “children” in the Lord.  He was writing to new converts, those who had yet to mature to the deeper things of God.  No matter where you are in your lifespan as a Christian, there are duties, responsibilities, blessings and privileges that we receive. 

We all have a tendency to desire to be in a different age group than what we are currently in.  Today my five year old observed the high dive on television. Afterward he asked, “When I am grown up can I do that?  Like when I am seven?”  He cracked me up thinking that seven was grown.  But that is the way we are as Christians as well.  Spiritual infants usually do not realize that they are infants.  And sadly, some Christians that should be approaching their golden years are still acting like infants, choosing not to grow from taking the milk of the Word to taking the meat of the Word.

John was reminding them that their sins were forgiven.  This is such a pivotal- and foundational principle.  We have to know and understand that it all begins with having Jesus blot out our sins and make us right in his sight.  If we enter eternity at that stage of development, we will still go on to enjoy the glories of heaven.  This is no small truth and worthy of our meditation and pondering. What have you been forgiven of?  Do you realize what a miracle receiving forgiveness from an altogether holy and blameless God is?  Saved from hell and for heaven.  What a heritage!

The other part of the passage that jumps out for me is “on account of his name.”  I have a friend who had their debit card stolen.  The person who took it, went on a spending spree.  Because of the account balance, they were able to take quite a bit of money.  Had they stolen mine, they would not have been able to have purchase nearly as much merchandise.  Why?  Because of the balance on my account.  If I am making withdrawals “on account” of Jesus’ Name, I have an unlimited spending limit!  No matter how much grace you or I need, there is more than enough to go around! No matter how much finances, healing or deliverance we need, we have an adequate amount of spiritual “credit” to meet that need.

What do you need today? Why don’t you take a moment to bring it to the Lord?

Dear Lord, thank you that I am forgiven.  Thank you that you provide all that I need in your name.  Help me to never forget the absolute holiness of your name.  In your matchless name I pray, Amen.

Sherri

I Sinned

 

 

“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched- this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.  The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim what we have seen and heard, so that you may have fellowship with us.  And our fellowship is with the Father and with his son, Jesus Christ.  We write this to make our joy complete.  This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light and in him is no darkness at all.  If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.  If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.”  I John 1:1-8

 

Have you ever known a person who believed that they were without sin?  If so, you probably were talking to someone impossible to witness to. Without the foundational principle of knowing there is an inherent sin nature, an individual has a hard time recognizing their need for a Savior.  As in most things in life, admitting the problem is the first step to receiving help.

I remember the first time I realized that my precious little child had chosen to purposely deceive me.  I could not believe it.  I had always told him how sweet he was, how smart he was, how very much he was loved.  I doted on him and tried to make his little world all he could hope for.  Still, naughtiness came from out of the blue.  But was it really?  Of course not; we can trace the root of sin all the way back to Adam.  And to Lucifer even before that.  When my little ones begin to display purposeful, premeditated sin, I know it is time to start talking to them about what sin is and how it separates us from God. 

We are not without sin.  Our very nature is proud, lustful and covetous.  If we will admit that, the truth is at work in our lives.  Where truth is, we find Jesus for he is truth. We have been talking about walking in the light.  The first step to that walk is to confess our sins to the Lord- one by one, and asking for forgiveness.  This occurs at salvation.  But can I tell you a secret? Even after salvation, we must constantly recognize our need for God’s cleansing, healing and restoration in our lives.  Then can we receive that purity and enjoy our day in the sun.

Dear Lord, I am a helpless sinner without you.  I am so grateful that you give me the help I need to overcome sin and become righteous in your sight.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Sherri

 

Facing Sin Head On

“For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.” Psalm 51:3

These verses were penned by King David after Nathan, the prophet, confronted him about his sin of adultery with Bathsheba and the setting up for her husband to be killed in battle. Although David should have been struck with remorse long before Nathan spoke to him, it seems that the voice of the prophet had left him a broken man.

Have you ever committed a sin so dark and unspeakable that you grieved over it?  Most of us have committed sin to a degree that we feel ashamed before God for our actions.  Because, in truth, no matter how small our sin, it always separates us from the holiness of God.  A white lie, an angry word, adultery… all of these results from the sin nature and if left unrepented, leads to death.

In this passage David was facing his sin head on.  What had seemed so desirable at the time, now looked back at him in the light of day.  He recognized his moral failure and he was having a hard time moving on.  All he could see was his wrongdoing, sin and separation from God. The sin was always before him.

When the Lord convicts us of sin, it is always to a redemptive end.  He convicts us so that we will repent, receive forgiveness and restoration.  It is not God’s will for us to be eternally condemned, always feeling unworthy to come in His presence.  If you are struggling with condemnation, please know that condemnation is from your enemy.  If you have repented, the sin is no longer always before you. It is behind you, plunged beneath the cleansing blood of Jesus.  When you confess sin and receive forgiveness, the Father does not remember it against you anymore.  And the good news is that “we have the mind of Christ.”  Therefore, we do not have to ever think again of our sins, except to say “Thank you God, I am clean and free of that.”

Dear Lord, I pray today especially for my friends who are struggling with guilt, shame and condemnation.  Help them to receive your forgiveness and walk in freedom from even the effects of sin.  Help them to see themselves as you see them- pure, righteous, holy and blameless in Your sight.  Thank you for your cleansing blood.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Sherri

Down and Dirty

 “Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.”  Psalms 51:2

Have you ever been dirty?  I mean really dirty head to toe?  Nothing feels better after that than getting a good, hot shower.  Being really dirty makes you appreciate clean far more.

Many of us remember that clean, light feeling we had when we first came to Christ for salvation.  The contrast of being a sinner, to being forgiven is such a heady experience.  You cannot even describe the joys of it adequately to someone who has not experienced it.

Unfortunately, in time, we sometimes forget where we came from and to what degree we were cleansed.  We do well to occasionally reflect on the transformation that occurred in that great exchange called salvation.  Even as Christians, we constantly need to go back to Christ for forgiveness.

I am so grateful that he washes away ALL our iniquity.  There is no sin beyond his capability to forgive, wash and erase.  No matter how much we have sinned, or how often, his blood is enough to make us pure, righteous, holy and blameless in his sight.  Selah- pause and calmly think about that.

Dear Lord, I am so grateful for your blood that makes me whole and clean.  Thank you for loving me enough to die for my sins.  Thank you that you became sin on my behalf.  For the gratitude in my heart, there are no words. In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Sherri