Meditate: Acts 2:38

In my quiet private moments, I’m often visited by the thought that I’ve gone too far.

That somewhere along the way I’ve done some thing that’s beyond God’s grace.

Something horrible.  Something… unforgivable.  (I might not actually use that word - I’m much too spiritual for that.)

But deep down inside I feel tainted.  I look at myself and I remember the sin stains.  I recall irreversible things I’ve done and wonder how even God could possibly redeem the past.  

I feel feelings I’ve felt for so long that I don’t even know where they came from: inadequacies, doubts, fears, shadows of things I can’t even really name.

And no matter how much I read my Bible or pray or serve, the feeling that there’s a disqualifying “skeleton in the closet,” a secret to keep, never quite goes away.  

Like a child who’s snuck into the theater, I often catch myself waiting for the tap on the shoulder that tells me I’m busted and it’s time to go. 

Forgiveness opens up a wonderful world.  It means that God accepts me fully into His family.  I’m His child.

Not a “sort-of” child.  Not a “red-headed stepchild” (no offense).  There are no italics in the Book of Life.

God says, “Though your sins are as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.”  I’m not the exception and neither are you.

Jesus says, “Come to me all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”  Jesus’ rest is for all who come and all includes you (and me).  Again, you’re not the exception.  

God’s forgiveness is total and totally effective.  More about this tomorrow.

• What makes me feel like an exception?
• Have I confessed/committed my irreversible sins to God?
• Am I fully accepted into God’s family?

Pray
Praise: You’re not limited in Your power.  Nothing is hidden from You.

Confess: I’ve felt those feelings and hidden from You instead of trusting in Your love and forgiveness and bringing it all to You.

Thank: There is nothing I’ve done that You cannot or will not forgive.

Ask: Show me the fullness of Your forgiveness and mercy.  Wash me and I will be clean.  Forgive me and I will be truly forgiven.

Digging Deeper: Isaiah 1:18; Matthew 11:28-30; I John 1:8-2:2

Meditate: Acts 2:38

In nature, nothing “just grows.”  Autumn death plants the seeds that bring spring.  Some plants won’t even blossom unless they experience winter’s freeze.  Still others require a blistering fire to pass over them to awaken them to life.  

None of the plants we count on to feed us flourish unless the plow disrupts everything.  In each case, brokenness, pain, and death result in growth, fruit and new life.  

Having been broken in repentance and death to my self, God sows His Spirit in me, raising me to new life.  Just like the buds in the spring, forgiveness is the first sign that God’s new life has come.  

But what if I resist the breaking and hang on to my old life?  

What if I quench the Spirit’s fire sent to burn away the accumulated sin debris?  How can I hope for new life?  

What desirable thing ever grows in an unplowed field?

• Is there anything that I am refusing to yield to God?
• Any areas where I’m quenching God’s Spirit?
• What’s the “unplowed ground” in my life?

Pray
Praise: You are the Transforming God - You bring Life from death.

Confess: I don’t like facing my sin, so I have chosen the short term false comfort of ignoring You; I refuse the fruitfulness You offer.

Thank: You are always more willing to plant than I am willing to yield.  Your plans have always been to give me hope and a future.

Ask: Break me, Lord.  Take all of me; sow into my life as You see fit.

Digging Deeper: Jeremiah 4:1-4; Hosea 10:12

Meditate: Acts 2:38

Remember the story of Ebenezer Scrooge?  The part where Scrooge has just been visited by the Ghost of Christmas Past (the first of the three)?  He’s clearly shaken.  But when he wakes up he says it wasn’t real.  He writes it off to indigestion, “There is more gravy about you than the grave.”

In God’s mercy, the Holy Spirit shows me the truth about myself.  He may use the Bible, a sermon, another person, or my own conscience; He may even convict me directly.  

And I’ll really be shaken.  Scared of facing God at the Judgment.  Maybe even nervous about where I’ll spend eternity.  

But what happens next?  Do I confess and repent?  Do I face the truth and know forgiveness?  

Or do I hide and deny and wait for it to all just go away?  Do I excuse myself, justify myself, do I ignore God?

Remember, confession isn’t a chance for me to tell the all-knowing God what I’ve done - it’s to make sure that I know what I’ve done (think about that for a minute).  

Confess means agree with.  Confession is me agreeing with God about my sins.  That way I’ll see my sins for what they are and truly reject them.  

Only when my repentance is real can I genuinely know forgiveness.

• What do I do when I’m convicted of sin?
• Where have I been ignoring the Holy Spirit?
• Do I have any unconfessed sin?
• Is there anything where I haven’t experienced God’s forgiveness?

Pray
Praise: You are the all-knowing God.  Nothing is hidden from You.  Your Name endures forever.  You are my Help and my Hope.  If You were not on my side, I could never stand.

Confess: Too often I ignore what You’re trying to show me.  I turn away and rationalize away the Spirit’s conviction.  I ignore You.

Thank: You are merciful.  Your patience with me is amazing. You have continued to guide, to call, to draw me to You.

Ask: Take not Your Spirit from me-please don’t stop speaking to me; don’t stop showing me my sins; don’t stop showing me the truth about myself.  Make me fit for Your kingdom.

Digging Deeper: Psalm 38

Meditate: Acts 2:38

Preacher and writer A. W. Tozer said the problem is that we “want our Easter to come without the necessity of a Good Friday.”

I want new life in Jesus without dying to my old life.  
I want fellowship with the Spirit without ever knowing how much my sin has separated me from God.  
I want the joy of being raised up without the brokenness that comes from realizing how far I’ve fallen.  

I want forgiveness as long as I don’t really have to answer “Forgiveness from what?”  True repentance answers that question.

• Just why do I need God’s forgiveness?
• What am I avoiding?
• Forgiveness from what?

Pray
Praise: Nothing is hidden from You.  Knowing all, You still show mercy.

Confess: I have avoided the pain of my sin.  I have denied or ignored the facts Your Spirit has shown me about myself.  I have too often said to You, “Let’s not dwell on that.  Just forgive me.”

Thank: You want me to experience the fullness of Your forgiveness so You keep calling me to fully confess and repent, knowing that Your glory lies on the other side of my resistance.

Ask: Show me my sin.  Let it break my heart like it has broken Yours.  Show me how I have offended You and lead me to new life in Jesus.

Digging Deeper: Psalm 51

Forgiveness of sin
Meditate: Acts 2:38

A few months ago, I got a letter from a financial services company.  Seems they were so grateful for my military service that they wanted to send me a calculator/alarm clock.  I just had to fill out a card, answer a few questions about my finances, check a box saying “please send me the clock,” and six weeks later it arrived in the mail.  Absolutely no obligation, of course. It sits on my desk.

Many times I’ve heard forgiveness explained in similar terms (sometimes you’re even asked to fill out a card): I just have to say that I’ve sinned (Sure, who hasn’t?), ask God to forgive me (Sure, why not?), and that’s it-transaction completed.  Eternal fire insurance.

Said that way it sounds pretty hollow, doesn’t it? Let’s examine some facts and see if this gets any clearer:

Economics lesson: Transactions are an exchange of value and they happen when each side has something the other side wants.  If I exchange money for goods or services then it’s called a sale.  Or we might trade my goods/services for your goods/services.  In the example above, I traded information for a clock.  It’s only a gift if nothing of value is exchanged.

Spiritual Economics lesson: The truth is that I have nothing of value.  Actually less than nothing.  In my natural state, I will never, ever make it anywhere near heaven.  I am condemned, eternally lost.  In this state, there is no basis for any transaction with God.  

What exchange could I possibly make?  All I can hope for is God’s mercy, a gift.  

Jesus is God’s gift.  I’m in no position to negotiate terms, but by the grace of God, I can surrender to Jesus.  He’s not a last resort; He’s my first and only hope.  He doesn’t “owe me” forgiveness in exchange for anything I do-He gives forgiveness opening the way for His gift of eternal life.

• Have I been trying to just do business with God?
• What have I been trying to negotiate with God?
• What do I need to surrender?

Pray
Praise: Only You can forgive.  You alone are God Almighty.  Only You are Lord.  Only You can save.  All my hope is in You.

Confess: I am hopeless.  I have nothing that isn’t tainted by my sin.

Thank: In my lost-ness, You have shown mercy.  You have opened my eyes to my sin and called me to new life in Jesus.

Ask: Forgive my bargaining.  Accept my surrender and show me any un-surrendered areas of my life.

Digging Deeper: Isaiah 64