Forgiven

Have you ever experienced a falling out with a close friend?   I’m not talking about a disagreement over where to eat lunch.  I mean the kind of heart-wrenching situation that causes a relationship to be broken.  You know the feelings of hurt and disappointment that come from losing someone who is dear to you.  You miss being able to talk to that friend and to spend time with them.  The Bible says that when we sin, we impact our relationship with God.  The fellowship we have with Him is broken.  The Bible says that we have all sinned.  Romans 3:23 says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”  The only thing that can restore that relationship is forgiveness.  Thankfully, God is eager to forgive.  He desires for us to return to Him so that He can bless us with His forgiveness.

David is a great example of someone who was trapped by sin and experienced the forgiveness of God.  David had an adulterous relationship with a woman married to one of his soldiers (Read the whole story in 2 Samuel 11).  A string of bad decisions resulted in David’s involvement in adultery, deception, and murder.  David was guilty of crimes punishable by death, but God had mercy on David because of his sincere repentace (see Psalm 51).  We can learn some valuable lessons from David’s testimony of the forgiveness he received from God found in Psalm 32:

1. We are blessed when we experience the forgiveness of God. (Psalm 32:1-2).
2. Trying to hide our sin costs us greatly (Psalm 32:3-5).
3. We must acknowledge our sin to God without delay (Psalm 32:6-7).
4. God wants to teach us to avoid sin (Psalm 32:8-9).
5. We should rejoice when we experience forgiveness and teach others about our mistakes (Psalm 32:10-11)

Everyone struggles daily with sin in his or her life.  The apostle Paul said that he struggled to do the things he should while doing the things he should not.  The Bible says that we are not slaves to sin as Christians, yet we continue to allow it into our lives.  I want to encourage you today to acknowledge the sin in you life.  Pray as David did in Psalm 51:2-4: 

"Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity And cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, And my sin is ever before me. Against You, You only, I have sinned And done what is evil in Your sight, So that You are justified when You speak And blameless when You judge."

Hold out your sin to God and acknowledge that you have done wrong in His sight.  Then throw it on the ground and ask God to help you to resist that temptation when it comes again.  Keep short lists with God and confess your sin as soon as you are aware of it.  Ask God daily to reveal the sin in your life that you aren’t even aware exists in your heart.

Once you’ve experienced the blessing of forgiveness, I encourage you to have an attitude of joy and thanksgiving for the grace God has bestowed on you.  Use that experience to teach others about God’s forgiveness and love.  Submit to the teaching of the Lord and don’t ever forget that you’re forgiven!