[DISPLAY_ULTIMATE_SOCIAL_ICONS]
This message is for my fellow prodigals.
God gave me a vision this morning of David’s heart. David had great sin in his life… adultery, murder, deceit. Yet he was called a man after God’s own heart. God gave me a glimpse into this seeming paradox today. God never requires perfection of us. He knows that is impossible. He does not expect us to be sinless.
What He does want is our hearts. He knows whose hearts belong to Him. We don’t have to prove to Him that we love Him by trying to be perfect. He already knows if we love Him.
This does not excuse sin. If we are truly in love with Jesus Christ, then our misconduct will grieve us. Just as David was deeply remorseful after the prophet, Nathan, confronted him. Sometimes, like David, there will be a lag between the committed wrong and our recognition of it. Sanctification is a lifelong process. But a heart in love with Christ longs to grow closer to Him. HE takes care of perfecting us if we are faithful to seek Him regularly.
But some of us, especially us prodigals who lived rough lives before coming to Jesus, are so terribly grieved by our past mistakes that we live in constant self degradation. We wonder how God could forgive us from such terrible crimes when we cannot forgive ourselves. Some of us live in misery over deep secrets that nobody else even knows.
First of all, God knows. You have no secrets so deep and dark that He does not intimately know about already.
But here’s the thing… when Jesus died on the cross, He took care of it. There is no sin too terrible for the blood of Jesus. His blood covered that horrible mistake from your past that haunts you. HE TOOK CARE OF IT.
If your past haunts you badly enough to cause you misery, you have already been convicted by the Holy Spirit. Your sorrow is the same regret that David expressed about his mistakes. And he was a man after God’s own heart.
If you love Jesus, then you have given Him your heart. You are the bride of Christ. YOU ARE WASHED CLEAN. It is as if that thing in your past never happened. It has been completely erased from your record.
Satan does not want you to know this. He would love for your regrets to cripple you forever. He will remind you of your transgressions at every opportunity. He wants you to feel unloved, unforgiven and condemned. But do not believe his lies.
Other people, even (especially) other Christians may not extend the same extreme forgiveness toward you that God does. But He is really the only one who matters. He says He has completely forgiven you and He is not a liar.
So you must make peace with your past. God already has. Believe it. Accept His forgiveness. Forgive yourself. Live in His peace, light and victory. HALLELUJAH, YOU ARE WASHED CLEAN!!
