Jesus went to Galilee preaching the Message of God: “Time’s up! God’s kingdom is here. Change your life and believe the Message.” (Mark 1:14-15, The Message)
If you [God] kept a record of our sins,
who could escape being condemned?
But you forgive us,
so that we should stand in awe of you. (Psalm 130:3-4) (Good News Translation)
God's promise is clear: Whoever calls on the Lord, now revealed definitively not just to Jews but to all people everywhere through Jesus Christ, will be saved (Joel 2:32; Acts 2:21; Romans 10:13).
Let Christ conquer your sins, your errors in judgment, the hurt you've caused others and yourself, the ways you've failed to love God and others. Let Christ conquer you!
Apologize to those you've hurt. Make right what you can. (See here.) But do it all in the freedom of one who has given unconditional surrender to Christ and lives in the freedom of being God's child now and in eternity.
Today, turn from sin and turn to Christ, entrusting your life to Him.
Then do it again tomorrow.
And the next day.
For the rest of your earthly life.
You'll make mistakes. But, as you keep turning from sin and turn to Christ, your mistakes...your sins, won't master you.
Christ will master them for you.
You'll be learning to live in Christ and you'll know the truth of God's Word: "Anyone who is joined to Christ is a new being; the old is gone, the new has come" (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Yay, God!
[Blogger Mark Daniels is the pastor of Living Water Lutheran Church, Centerville, Ohio.]
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