As Far as the East is From the West...

Every Sunday night my family meets with a group of people from our church to discuss questions from that morning's sermon and to be in community with other believers.  Last night as we all sat in our living room, my Dad decided to do a little object lesson.  Each person in the room took two pieces of paper.  On the first piece, everyone wrote something that they had done in the past week that was Christlike.  On the second piece, we wrote something that we had done that was not Christlike.  Each person folded up their pieces of paper.  The papers with the Christlike action went into Bibles and pockets, but the pieces of unchristlike behaviors stayed out.  My Dad lit a candle that was in the center of the table and asked each of us to burn our second piece of paper in the flame.

You are probably thinking, "Okay, so her Dad likes to burn things...  Why is she telling me this?"

Do you ever feel like you have done something so terrible that God can't forgive you?  Have you ever thought that maybe you messed up your life so badly that there is absolutely no way God will ever forgive you?  If you have ever thought that, I can offer you hope!

Psalm 103:8-12 says, "The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.  He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.  For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us."

Because of our sins, we all deserve death (Romans 3:23), but because of God's grace we can be forgiven (3:24).  When you come to God and confess your sin, He removes it from you as far as the east is from the west and forgives you.  Don't ever let yourself be deceived into thinking that you can't be forgiven!

When each of us burned the piece of paper containing unchristlike actions, it represented the incredible grace and forgiveness that God offers each one of us.  Is there something that you need to ask God forgiveness for?  He is ready and willing to forgive you if you will repent.