I'm sitting on the beach and I'm looking out at the ocean. For miles and miles, all I can see is the water. I see waves form and then crash against the people trying to ride them. In the ocean, you try to ride the waves, but you always seem to be pushed under the water. You pick yourself back up and try to do it again, but inevitably get dragged down. The cycle repeats and finally, it stops once you get out of the ocean.
The ocean is the best thing to compare God's grace to. As humans, we have temptations and sometimes we give in to them. We sin and we make mistakes, but it always seems to make us feel worse about ourselves than we did before. We try to get up on our own, but we fall into temptation again. The cycle repeats, but when we call out to Jesus and beg Him for forgiveness, it doesn't have to be that way anymore.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:19 (ESV)
One of the main things that keeps people from turning to Jesus and surrendering to Him is that they can't forgive themselves for what they have done. Have you forgotten that Paul was formerly known as Saul? When he was Saul, persecuting Christians gave his life meaning. In Acts 9, Saul is nearing Damascus when Jesus calls out to him.
And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" And he said, "Who are you, Lord?" And he said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting."
Acts 9:4-5 (ESV)
I'm sure you know the rest of the story. Saul stands up and realizes he is blind. The men traveling with him help lead him into Damascus and a man is there named Ananias. In a vision, God tells him to lay his hands on Saul and to heal him. Ananias then begins to question why because he is aware of what Saul has done against the name of the Lord. God tells him to do it because he will do great things. Ananias went and helped him regain his sight and Saul was then baptized. Immediately Saul proclaimed Jesus' name.
If God can forgive someone who made it his life mission to persecute those who served Him and then use that same person to do good for His kingdom, then why couldn't He forgive you? Why couldn't He use you?
If you are reading this, maybe you can't forgive yourself. Maybe you refuse Jesus' forgiveness. Do you not realize that He died on the cross for all sins? We refuse forgiveness like it's something to be earned, but you can't earn it. It is God's gift to us. He died for the one who lies, the one who cheats, the one who steals and even the one who murders. He died for you. Never forget that, and don't take it for granted.
