October 21, 2020: How Sinful Can One Be Before God's Grace and Forgiveness Is No Longer Sufficient.

Many of us as new or even older Christians struggle with God's grace and forgiveness in our lives. We tend to think that we have gone too far with God's grace. We'll say something like; "God I know you can't forgive me for this sin again, I keep doing the same thing over and over again", or maybe you think you have messed up so bad in your life, that God can never forgive you for all things you have done and are doing.

The great news is that God's grace and forgiveness never ends...As long as we have a repentant and remorseful heart, God's grace and forgiveness is always there for us, and if we are willing to turn to Him and ask Him to forgive us. I think of the life of Saul of Tarsus, who later became the Apostle Paul. He was a sinner of sinners. He persecuted the first Christians of his time and hunted them down to have them imprisoned and stoned to death. Read I Timothy, the words from the Apostle Paul:

I Timothy 1: 15-17

15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life.17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

What the Apostle Paul is saying here is that if God could forgive him, Paul (Saul), then how can God, not forgive you for your sins in your life. There is nothing to sinful that God cannot forgive.

My son and I were watching an old NCIS episode last night, and the story was about a young teenage daughter who got caught up in drugs and her live was beginning to spiral downward. Her father, an FBI agent, tried to give his daughter advise and correction but all she did was become angry and distant. The father didn't know what to do and he felt he was losing his daughter, until a good friend gave him advise. The friend told this father to be a loving father to his daughter, accept her and forgive her.

The father walked into his house seeing his daughter with a packed bag ready to leave and with a lot of anger toward her father. The father said nothing, all he did was put out his arms toward his daughter in the gesture of a hug. The daughter looked at her father, dropped her bag of clothes, and fell into her father's arms and cried and told her father she was sorry for what she had did. The father in return said, "I will always love you".

PERSONNAL COMMENT

Our heavenly Father is waiting with open arms for us to come to Him with a broken and surrendered heart. He has already forgiven us for all the bad things we have done and going to do in our life. There is nothing you have done that can't be forgiven. Trust God now with His love for you and accept His Son, Jesus, who has died for all your sins and paid the penalty as well.