Jeremiah 15:19-20 "If you repent, I will restore you that you may serve me; if you utter worthy, not worthless, words, you will be my spokesman. Let this people turn to you, but you must not turn to them. I will make you a wall to this people, a fortified wall of bronze; they will fight against you, but will not overcome you, for I am with you to rescue and save you."
I saw something this morning that deeply saddened me. The statement of one who knew of a past that was complete with wonder and excitement in the Lord but also sin and destruction of the enemy. Yes, this reflects my past as I am certain it does a good number of those who read this. The implication that this past had failure in it, sin, disappointment, destruction, hardships and deep hurts, whether self or otherwise injected; so they implied that because they had been a sinner, they would always be a sinner.
There is some truth to this statement, as we will all sin everyday. As long as we are in this world, there will be sin that will enter in. But we do not have to remain in that state.....we have been redeemed by the blood of our precious Savior. The Lord did not say He would save us from past sin, He came to redeem us, forgive us, of ALL SIN, past, present and future. This is just a side note for those who may not realize the unconditional love of our God.
To say that because we were a great sinner (all sin is great in the eyes of our Lord, there is no degrees of sin, little or big, SIN IS SIN), that we cannot change (all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God) is a myth, a lie straight from the lips of satan. It is not from our Lord. Jesus came so that we might be redeemed and made free from our sin. Yes, even the sin that will be committed tomorrow, or next week, next year. Free to live in Him, free to hold our heads up, relieved from the burden of the sinful nature that we were born into. Do you ever feel, as I did this morning, that righteous anger that people can be so judgmental, so self righteous, to think that because of your past, you have no future in our Lord, in His Kingdom, in His Glory? It just rose up in me this morning as the grief I felt the Lord feeling that still, His children want to hold everyone that He restores back because of their past. Where would I be without the wonderful mercy and grace of my God? Where would you be. I cannot tell you how often the enemy comes at me with scenes of my past, with the horror of what I was, and so much of it only my Lord and I know....but that sometimes is worse than having your past plastered across the papers, the things that no one knows but the most important One in your life, the Lord of your life, Jesus. He sees my past that He went to the cross for; He knows where I have slipped and fell for He was there with His hand reaching out to me; He knows how the enemy comes against me, how shame fills my heart; and yet above all this He knows how much He loves me and He continues to hold me and assure me that He has forgiven me, He has redeemed me, and yes, when I sin again, He will still love me more than life itself and redeem me when I repent and call upon His Name. You see, the Lord knows the hearts of man, He sees when we are repentant. His mercy, His grace for us does not go by what others see or think, it is a reflection of His love and our repentant heart that He sees.
To each of us grace is measured out each day, mercy will always triumph over sin, and the death of the old man has brought life to the new in Jesus Christ. So once a sinner, always a sinner......no, this is not true......actually it is only true to those that continue to judge each other, for you see, that is sin. Judging belongs to the Lord, and if we continue to fall into that trap, we will become sinners far worse than anything we can do. Judge not that you sin not. Forgive me, forgive others, forgive yourself when you fall, for as repentance comes from our lips to our Lord, redemption and love comes from His heart.
My Lord, all I can do is thank You for redeeming me, for forgiving me each day, each time I fail You, thank You for Your unconditional love that lifts me back to You as I seek to walk in Your Light with my head held high, for You are my Glory and the Lifter of my head. I love You, Lord.
07-30-12
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