Psalm 130:3-4: If you, LORD, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you.
GOD loves us, even though we often sin and make mistakes. He is GOOD, GRACIOUS, FORGIVING, and MERCIFUL--the GOD of ANOTHER CHANCE.
GOD never leaves us or forsakes us, even when we doubt, fall, fail, rebel, or walk away. He's here, offering us His hand, His heart, His WORD, His SON, His SPIRIT, His LOVE.
Even as we wander away, lose ourselves and lose sight of HIM, and even as we get distracted by family, friends, jobs, money, the cares of the world, and the pleasures of life, GOD never gives up on us. He is patient--LONGSUFFERING--and He gives us ample time to return to Him, REPENT, and ACCEPT Him and His love.
When we do finally seek HIM--GOD--JESUS--in SINCERITY and HUMILITY and ASK for FORGIVENESS, HE is FAITHFUL and JUST to forgive us our sin and CLEANSE US of ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS. But first, we've got to admit that we've made mistakes and done wrong; we've got to confess that we've sinned, that we're not perfect, that we're not right. After we do that, we're covered by the BLOOD of the LAMB--CHRIST JESUS--and our sins ARE forgiven, washed away and lost in GOD's Sea of Forgetfulness.
And once we're forgiven, GOD doesn't hold our past mistakes against us. He urges us to PAY GRACE and MERCY FORWARD--condemning not, judging not, and forgiving others as we have been forgiven.
We're to LOVE others as we love ourselves, especially those who have sinned (and that includes everyone, for ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of GOD).
There are no sinless people in this world, including the saints of God, for we have all done things for which we need to be forgiven. We've lied, cheated, stolen, blasphemed, cursed, betrayed, doubted, killed, gossiped, and slandered. We've committed adultery, engaged in fornication (sex outside of marriage), immorality, pornography, perversion, and addiction. We've been jealous, angry, lustful, hateful, boastful, self-centered, stingy, and full of pride, and we've been greedy, foul, shady, hard-hearted and dirty in public and in private. But still, GOD loves us, and when we surrender these--our flaws, our imperfections, and our sins--to HIM, He forgives them all and He CHOOSES to REMEMBER THEM NO MORE. For GOD, this is the tenor--the nature--of LOVE.
What we have to do then is ACCEPT and RECEIVE GOD's LOVE and FORGIVENESS, and we have to forgive ourselves when we're less than perfect and forgive others who are just as prone to sin as we are. After all, there has only been ONE sinless man who walked earth and His name is JESUS. The rest of us are not perfect; we're just BLESSED because we have been DRAWN, REDEEMED, SAVED, and FORGIVEN.
