God's judgment
For if we willfully persist in sin after having received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful prospect of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has violated the law of Moses dies without mercy "on the testimony of two or three witnesses." How much worse punishment do you think will be deserved by those who have spurned the Son of God, profaned the blood of the covenant by which they were sanctified, and outraged the Spirit of grace? For we know the one who said, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay." And again, "The Lord will judge his people." It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
DEVOTION
Yikes! Today's good news Bible reading, sounds more like bad news to me!
Thanks be to God for Love and Amazing Grace which looks beyond our faults and sees our needs!
I don't know about you, but I am so grateful that Love gave Jesus to die on the cross to save us from our sin and gift us with eternal life.
I am so thankful that when we confess our sin, God is faithful and just to forgive our sin and cleanse us of all unrighteousness!
The good thing about being in a love relationship with God is that we have a desire to live holy and righteous lives. We do not purposefully choose to sin. Rather, as we allow Spirit to live, move, and breathe in us, we do our best to make choices that cause God to smile.
When we unintentionally sin by word, thought, or deed, we are driven to our knees to ask for forgiveness from our loving and compassionate God who freely pours out grace and mercy in response to our confessions.
When the early Church was just getting started, there were some who thought that since Jesus died for the forgiveness of sin that meant they could do anything they wanted--no matter how atrocious--because they were already forgiven by God.
Lord, have mercy!
Now, we certainly know that it is not right to purposefully sin. Sin ought to be abhorrent to us. We should never take Jesus' blood and sacrifice for granted!
So, we avoid unloving behaviors at all costs, but, if we do sin, we know that we have an advocate with the Father, who is Jesus Christ the righteous! Jesus is the atonement for our sin and not for our sin only, but for the sin of the whole world!
Do not be afraid, it is God's good pleasure to give us the kingdom!
Remember, there is NO-thing that is impossible for God to forgive. We can't out sin, out run, or out fox our loving and compassionate God. If we have messed up, we ought to confess it to God, ask for forgiveness, and move on...
If we are able to make amends with the person we harmed, we should do so. If we cannot, let us pray for the person and trust God to make things right.
We carry too many burdens on our shoulders because we are unable to forgive ourselves! Today, I want to invite all of us to give those burdens to God. God will forgive us and put our sin as far as the east is from the west, and remember it no more!
We are forgiven because of the Unconditional Love and Amazing Grace of God!
Walk in it, dear one...YOU ARE FREE!
Let us pray:
Good and gracious God, have mercy upon me. I have sinned in word, thought, and deed against you. I have sinned by what I have done and what I have left undone. I have sinned by what I have said and what I have failed to say. Please have mercy upon me. Cleanse and purge me; fill me with your Holy Spirit. Empower me to share the good news that Love gave Jesus to live, die, and rise again to forgive our sin and gift us with eternal life. I thank you for you for the precious gift of salvation and I love you so! I pray this in Jesus' Name, Amen.
INVITATION
If you have questions about how to become a friend and follower of Jesus, please see the devotion entitled, “Come to Jesus” @ http://bit.ly/JVhaLta
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