The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…
"No Regrets?"
I recently heard a well known entertainer say, "I have no regrets at all. Where I am in life has resulted from everything that has happened to me. And I love where I am in life." The case could easily be made about the gentleman that in many ways, he has served as a damaging and even destructive influence on others, particularly young people. However, he maintained, "No regrets."
This raises the question, "Should born again believers, whose sins have been forgiven by the grace of God, have regrets?" We should, although our proper sorrow for the sins of the past should not be paralyzing. "I will be sorry for my sin" stated the Psalmist, who also affirmed, "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered" (Psalm 38:18; 32:1). Certainly, our Heavenly Father would not have us dwell on past failures for which the Lord Jesus Christ died in order to provide pardon. "As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us" (Psalm 103:13). We do Him, others, and ourselves no favors by allowing regret to thwart our peace in Christ, and our spiritual enemies may even tempt us to use past wanderings as an excuse to detour us from present paths of faithfulness.
The truth remains, however, that a proper awareness of how our sins have affected the glory of God, our lives, and the lives of others should occupy a place in our hearts and minds. Most importantly, the Lord Jesus suffered and died in order to make possible our salvation. While we rejoice in such a gift, we never forget the price required to provide it, namely, Christ bore our sins because we committed them. Thus, while we rightly rejoice in the freely given grace of His salvation, we maintain an abiding sense of contrition that could be termed "regret." Moreover, we also remember the people hurt by our failures, asking our Father to mercifully redeem and repair damage we may have done in the hearts and lives of others. "For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you" wrote the Apostle Paul to Jews who served as darkness rather than light to others (Romans 2:24).
We should greatly rejoice in freely given forgiveness, cleansing, and newness in Christ, allowing no regret to hinder our joy in Him. However, we do realize the seriousness of past wanderings, and their effects. In this sense, we reserve room for a beneficial "regret" that strengthens rather than weakens our faith and faithfulness to God and others. Our Lord bears abiding wounds on His hands, feet, and side, bearing witness to both His redeeming love for us, and the reasons such injuries were required (John 20:27). Both realities have a place in the believer's heart, and both lead us to know both the joy and the seriousness of the life to which He calls us.
"Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin."
(Romans 4:8)
"For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with Him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit."
(Isaiah 57:15)
Weekly Memory Verses
His greatness is unsearchable.
(Psalm 145:3).
His understanding is infinite.
(Psalm 147:5)
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