Have you ever done something you wish you could take back? Maybe it was something you said. Or perhaps a reaction in the moment that you would do differently now that you’ve thought through it. Maybe there is a big mistake that has shaped your life that only a few people know about, or a hidden sin you’ve asked for forgiveness for over and over again. Just when you think you’ve got it taken care of and feel freed from it, the enemy brings it up again and you are forced to deal with your bad choices once again. Guilt and shame resurface and you wonder if this is how it will always be.
Secondly, if your sin has impacted others, directly affects others, or needs to be known by your close contacts, you go to them in humility and let it be known you have gotten things right with the Lord and want to make it right with them too. If you aren’t sure if you need to talk to more than the Lord about it, ask a trusted mentor or leader in your life.
Our world likes to dig up wrongs, display dirty laundry, and drag those who have made bad choices through the mud. It’s hard to truly realize, receive, and live in the reality that once God forgives sin, it is as far as the east is from the west. Basically that means it is farther than we could ever trace or reach. There is no destination we could arrive at to find that sin again. God has forgiven it. It’s as if it is over. This doesn’t negate the consequences that sometimes comes with choices we make, but when it comes to God’s position with us, He is done with it when we confess and forsake it.
Sometimes we get the idea we are too bad or have gone too far that God won’t forgive. But that is not what the Bible teaches. The Bible says, “grace abounds.” This is a promise, not a prerequisite for forgiveness. God’s grace is free to those who will receive it.
Here is a great help we gain from Scripture when it comes to temptation following forgiveness – Christ is our strength. And His strength shines when we feel weak. It’s a surrender of self where Christ really begins to work. This is why Paul says we must take up our cross daily. It’s in that realization of our weakness that we find God’s strength carrying us through.
Jesus gives them an interesting lesson to think about when He says, “I desire mercy and not sacrifice.” It comes down to this. Jesus wanted them to know He wasn’t there for the perfect, sinless people – He wouldn’t be able to find people like that anyway. He also made it clear by quoting this truth from Hosea 6:6, “I desire mercy and not sacrifice,” that He wasn’t there for those who could bring sacrifices in accordance with the old law but did not have any mercy.
The focus Jesus wanted them to see was mercy toward each other. This mercy is not only something to give but also something to receive. When we receive the mercy Jesus offers over our sin, we are more apt to give mercy to others over their sin. James says it this way, “Mercy triumphs over judgement.”
Micah Maddox is a wife, mama, friend, Bible teacher, and author of a James: Tired, Tested, Torn, and Full of Faith. You can find encouraging resources FREE HERE! Micah is passionate about helping women learn what it truly means to daily walk with Jesus. She is on the Proverbs 31 Ministries First 5 Writing Team and writes for Encouragement From Women. Her main ministry is at home with her husband, Rob, who leads worship at Clear Springs Baptist Church in East Tennessee, and with her five children, some by birth, and some by adoption. Micah's heart for her local church is what fuels her desire to keep writing, teaching, and serving. Micah loves to give a voice to hurting hearts and writes and speaks to the one who needs encouragement. You can connect with her on Instagram or micahmaddox.com.
He is a cross pendant.
He is engraved with a unique Number.
He will mail it out from Jerusalem.
He will be sent to your Side.
Emmanuel
Bible Verses About Welcoming ImmigrantsEmbracing the StrangerAs we journey through life, we often encounter individuals who are not of our nationality......
Who We AreWhat We EelieveWhat We Do
2025 by lntellectual Reserve,Inc All rights reserved.
