“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”—1 John 1:9
You haven’t fallen so far away that Your Father won’t receive you back. This is the story of the prodigal. Son (Luke 15:11-31). No matter how far we may have strayed, Our Father longs to receive us back in His arms. When we turn back to Him, He will restore us.
This I know from my own personal experience. As a young adult I had wandered away from the Lord. I strayed and God lovingly welcomed me back into His arms. Being forgiven for our sins, isn’t something to take lightly.
Fortunately, sin doesn’t take away our salvation, but it does put a wedge between us and God. It keeps us from living the life God has for us. The Holy Spirit is who convicts us when we sin. As soon as we feel that “pit” in our stomach that we have said or done something wrong, we immediately ask God to forgive us. The Holy Spirit helps us to recognize our sin. Our repentance leads to His mercy on us.
It’s not a free pass to sin. Jesus promised His disciples (including you and me), He would send an Advocate, the Holy Spirit, to empower us to resist temptations. However, we are human and will sometimes succumb to it.
When I am convicted of a thought or action, I ask for forgiveness but that isn’t always the case. In bed at night, I ask God to forgive me for both my known and unknown sin. I want my heart swept clean before I go to sleep. It is the only way to wake up with a new heart to start fresh the next day. Our sins are blotted out and makes for a more peaceful sleep.
We are all sinners in need of grace. Thankfully, Jesus loves us despite our failures and brokenness. The enemy wants you to believe the opposite. Don’t listen to his lies. You are a daughter of the King whose arms are open waiting for You to come to Him.
Father God,
I give You praise for Your patience with me. Forgive me when I let stubbornness and sin be a wedge between us. Help me to walk in Your ways. Thank You for the Holy Spirit that convicts me of wrong behaviors. Thank You for Your righteousness and mercy that covers me when I repent of my sins. I lift those up to You who are struggling with guilt of past sins. Help them to realize their confession and repentance to You releases them to You. You don’t keep a record of our past mistakes. You give us a fresh start each day. I pray these things in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
August Verse
“May your ways be known throughout the earth, your saving power among people everywhere.”—Psalm 67:2 (NLT)
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