Galatians 2:21 I
do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through
the law, Christ died for nothing! (NIV)
Sometimes, I wake up in the middle of the night and I remember
an embarrassing mistake or something foolishly spoken that I committed years
ago. The event or the expression I used stings my pride and I feel sorry for
having said or done something stupid that may have hurt or disappointed other
people. As I think about my mistake, I wish I could go back and change the
past, but that’s not ever going to happen, so I make a silent prayer to God and
ask for Jesus to forgive me. I cannot alter the consequences of my error
either, but I am able to leave it in the hands of God after confessing my sin.
This reminds me of why we all need a Savior. We could say
to God that we regret the past and will try to be better people by making it up
to Him with a whole load of good deeds, but all we would be doing is covering our
shame and blanketing our remorse. We can never do enough good things anyway
because there are other countless times when we have said or done something stupidly
and selfishly sinful in all of our past.
It is also the reason why the Cross is at the center of our
faith. Without Christ’s sacrifice, we would sadly remain unforgiven for the numerous
sinful moments across our entire lives. Without the effective work of the
Cross, we could never be restored to God’s gracious love. If we could do this
all by ourselves then, as Paul simply states, Jesus would have died for
nothing, but because we cannot save ourselves, we need the power, purpose, and peace
that the Cross of Christ provides for every one of us to be forgiven.
So, perhaps the next time you or I awake in the middle of
the night and recall an embarrassing or sinful moment from the past, instead of
dwelling on our stupidity we should think about the wonderful opportunity to be
totally forgiven and completely reconciled to God through Christ’s death on the
Cross.
Point to ponder
What past regrets do I
honestly have that still embarrass or shame me? Have I asked God to forgive me
of them in Christ’s Name?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, You
are at the center of history and the focus point of all this universe. Your
Life matters to us in so many ways, but Your Death has significantly impacted
us by negating our sins in order to let us be restored to our Creator. Thank
You for such an amazing gift of love! In Your Holy Name, we humbly and
gratefully pray. Amen.
John Stuart is the pastor
of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville,
Tennessee. Come and join us for worship on Sundays at 11:00 AM. You will be
made very welcome 😊
Today’s image is one of
John’s Good Friday drawings called ‘Empty Sky.’ If you would like to view a
larger version, click this link: Sky.
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