I did not grow up in a family of “forgivers.” To be forgiven, you must first admit you have done something wrong, right? Well, this seemed a hard concept for my family, especially my dad. I don’t ever remember him coming to me, my mom, or any of my siblings and asking us to forgive him for a harsh word spoken, a wrong action taken, or a negative attitude displayed. (I believe part of the reason was that this was just the way he was raised.) The mindset was that if you ignored it and didn’t acknowledge it, it didn’t exist. Therefore, I came into marriage thinking that I didn’t have to ask for forgiveness or acknowledge a harsh word spoken, a wrong action taken, or a negative attitude displayed. You can see trouble, can’t you?
Mark, on the other hand, was raised in a family where they acknowledged a problem or a hurt, dealt with it, and apologized to one another. They believed in getting things out in the open, admitting their wrong doing, apologizing, and asking for forgiveness. Therefore, when the words “You are forgiven” were spoken, the guilty was pardoned and restored; there was peace in the home. At that moment of forgiveness, they could start fresh in their relationship and move forward.
God desires that we come to Him, acknowledging our sin. He will never withhold forgiveness from anyone who humbly comes to Him asking for forgiveness.
We tend to want to categorize sin, the “not so bad” or “small sins,” compared to the “really bad” or “big sins.” But to God all sin separates us from Him. “Because a millionth of a molecule of sin contaminates the soul, all are found guilty.” David Jeremiah
“Christians do sin when they live in their own nature. The true Christian both acknowledges this sin and trusts in Christ to take it away.” NLT Parallel Study Bible
When it comes to God’s forgiveness, David Jeremiah says, “He can do so because He is God, because He is pure, and because He chooses to be a third party to every wrong act we can ever commit. Christ removes not only the penalty for our sin; He cleanses us completely from its slightest taint. You and I stand before God as if we lived a life of utter purity and perfection.”
What sins do you deem so “bad” that you believe God will not forgive you? If you have asked Him to forgive you out of a repentant heart, He has! Accept His forgiveness and thank Him for it!
There is no sin so great that God will not forgive.
Prayer…
Gracious Savior, who has forgiven all my sins and justified me through the shed blood of Your Son, thank you! I sing with David, “I will praise you forever, O God, for what You have done.” Thank you for cleansing me completely. Help me to never doubt my forgiveness but to always rest in your grace and mercy. Amen!
Here’s pardon for transgressions past, it matters not how black their cast; and, O my soul, with wonder view, for sins to come here’s pardon too.” —Charles H. Spurgeon
dianne