Christians tend to spend a lot of time discussing the inevitability of committing sin, the need for confessing sin, and the forgiveness of sins. This makes sense since the foundation of Christianity rests not on the Bible itself, but on the belief that Jesus lived, was crucified and was resurrected to wipe our scoreboard of sins clear. This is the “good news” for all of us believers who, by God’s grace, are granted the privilege of eternal life. However, we are also given another chance to do life “the right way” here on earth, but unfortunately it’s not always clear what that entails. Once we’ve received the gift of God’s grace – freedom from past shame, sins, and hurts – we may find ourselves in unknown territory feeling uncertain about taking the next step.
We can find hope in Isaiah 44:22 ~
“I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you.”
Life Application~
God’s invitation in Isaiah to “return to me” is still open but implies action on our part; and if we accept it, God points us in the direction leading right to Him. Because God has redeemed us from our past, we experience gratitude for what he has done. Because we are grateful, we feel inclined to please God. In order to please God, we actively seek out ways to better align our actions and words with His will. To better know His will, we read the Bible, we pray, we memorize verses that encourage us, we make time for fellowship and build relationships with other believers…in other words, we “return to God” when we make time in our lives and space in our hearts to better know Him.
Prayer~
Heavenly Father, you are my redeemer, and I’m grateful for the chance to live my life in a way that is pleasing to you. Fuel my desire to read the Bible, memorize scripture, and make time for fellowship with other believers so I can know you better. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
By: Angel Slawinski
