Before I learned of and accepted Christ as my Savior, I did have an understanding of right and wrong and I believed there was a God, though unknown to me. It was a God that saw my bad behavior and who would not be pleased with it. (That realization is no great accomplishment. Nature testifies that there is a God, a Creator, A Master of the universe, greater than us, for everyone to discern – Rom 1:20).
Out of fear, I would apologize to something above and intend to do better, though continually, I failed. And with each failure I grew to despise myself more and more.
Because the repentance journey stopped there, remaining in a state of fear with no resolution, hopelessness and a quiet, stealthy degradation gradually invaded my soul. True peace and joy were not to be found. The daily grind felt without purpose and value. So, what did I do? I masked it all with a smile and silenced the internal screaming with whatever substances were available.
BUT PRAISE GOD, though years later, the repentance journey began anew when I discovered Jesus.
I learned that God created humankind, and as a good and perfect Father, He loves each of us, every one of us. There has never, in all of time, been a love greater than His love for us. God knew that there would be no true joy in a life such as mentioned above, THAT life being what all humankind was subject to for their entire lifetime.
There would be, and is, and ever will be, only one solution, ONE. Jesus Christ, God’s only Son.
Jesus Christ died on the cross while miraculously bearing the sins of the world – yours, mine and everyone’s – upon Himself, so that through His life, death and resurrection He triumphed over sin and death, and grants His believers (those who have accepted Him as their Lord and Savior) eternal life and forgiveness of sin.
When we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, an entirely new game is in play. We are blessed with the power of the Holy Spirit within us to help and to guide. We are promised and given total forgiveness for our confessed and repented sins. They are forgotten by our Holy God, remembered no more. We are cleansed to start again, and free to learn and grow in our faith in Christ Jesus.
Joy follows our heart-felt confessions. Joy, based on thanksgiving, recognizing and appreciating God’s forgiveness and a renewed relationship with Him, a new day by His side participating in His work and participating in the overall Kingdom of God’s love and mercy and grace. We are blessed with love, forgiveness, purpose and value. May we always appreciate these precious, undeserved gifts from God.
Lord, we have so much to be thankful for, but even as Christians, there are times when we fail to continue the repentance journey. We get stuck in fear, doubt, hopelessness. Help us to get up. Remind us of Your perfect forgiveness, that it is total and complete, the sin no longer staining. We are cleansed and ready for service if only we would step forward into it. Thank you, Lord, for Your perfect Love. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
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