God forgives sin. He does not forgive excuses.
"We have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins... I acknowledge my sin unto Thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid" (Colossians 1:14; Psalm 32:5).
Through the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, our Heavenly Father provides pardon for honestly acknowledged wrong. Long ago in Eden, our original forefathers shifted blame for their unbelief and disobedience, Adam to Eve, and Eve to the devil (Genesis 3:12-13). Their offspring bear the same tendency, resulting in a conscience that bears the weight of sin because it refuses to accept responsibility for sin. Certainly this is true in unbelievers, but even those who trust in the Lord Jesus Christ can fail to acknowledge culpability for our own errors. We cannot relate well to God with a stained and uncleansed conscience caused by excuse-making. We thus miss much of His involvement in our lives because we walk in darkness rather than light.
In a generation characterized by blame-shifting, God's trusting sons and daughters in Christ do well to decisively determine within our hearts that our conscience is too precious a spiritual organ to damage by denial. More importantly, the Lord sacrificed too much for us to minimize the effect of His grace in our hearts. We need not fear coming to Him with the repentant awareness and attitude that accepts full responsibility for our sins. Conversely, we must greatly fear any approach to God accompanied by notions that divert blame away from ourselves and unto others. As a good friend suggests, others may certainly influence us. But we determine ourselves, that is, at the end of the day, we all make our own choices.
A growing awareness of the mercy supplied in our Savior's sacrifice provides a growing sense that we need not shirk the necessity of unreserved confession. "I have sinned" aligns with "He has died for my sin" to make possible forgiveness and cleansing. The slightest hint of excuse distorts such alignment, as well as the peace of a Christ-pardoned conscience. Let us realize this vital Scriptural truth, or as the Apostle John plainly declared,
"If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin."
(I John 1:7)
Weekly Memory Verse
I will worship toward Thy holy temple, and praise Thy name for Thy lovingkindness and for Thy truth: for Thou hast magnified Thy word above all Thy name.
(Psalm 138:2)
Through the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, our Heavenly Father provides pardon for honestly acknowledged wrong. Long ago in Eden, our original forefathers shifted blame for their unbelief and disobedience, Adam to Eve, and Eve to the devil (Genesis 3:12-13). Their offspring bear the same tendency, resulting in a conscience that bears the weight of sin because it refuses to accept responsibility for sin. Certainly this is true in unbelievers, but even those who trust in the Lord Jesus Christ can fail to acknowledge culpability for our own errors. We cannot relate well to God with a stained and uncleansed conscience caused by excuse-making. We thus miss much of His involvement in our lives because we walk in darkness rather than light.
In a generation characterized by blame-shifting, God's trusting sons and daughters in Christ do well to decisively determine within our hearts that our conscience is too precious a spiritual organ to damage by denial. More importantly, the Lord sacrificed too much for us to minimize the effect of His grace in our hearts. We need not fear coming to Him with the repentant awareness and attitude that accepts full responsibility for our sins. Conversely, we must greatly fear any approach to God accompanied by notions that divert blame away from ourselves and unto others. As a good friend suggests, others may certainly influence us. But we determine ourselves, that is, at the end of the day, we all make our own choices.
A growing awareness of the mercy supplied in our Savior's sacrifice provides a growing sense that we need not shirk the necessity of unreserved confession. "I have sinned" aligns with "He has died for my sin" to make possible forgiveness and cleansing. The slightest hint of excuse distorts such alignment, as well as the peace of a Christ-pardoned conscience. Let us realize this vital Scriptural truth, or as the Apostle John plainly declared,
"If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin."
(I John 1:7)
Weekly Memory Verse
I will worship toward Thy holy temple, and praise Thy name for Thy lovingkindness and for Thy truth: for Thou hast magnified Thy word above all Thy name.
(Psalm 138:2)
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