1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
I read the following section from the book “How People Change” by Timothy S. Lane and Paul David Tripp: Never a day goes by when we do not fail to do what Christ has enabled us to do…. We have been changed, we have been empowered, but we have not yet been perfected.
What do you do when you sin and fail? Do you excuse and rationalize? Do you wallow in self-defeating guilt and regret? The Cross calls you away from both responses. It gives you the freedom to admit your sin and repent.
It is impossible for your sin to shock the One who died because of it. The Cross also gives you the freedom to seek and receive forgiveness each time you fall. We do not have to carry the sins Christ took on himself. He paid the price we could not pay so that we would never have to pay it again.
When you fail, keep Jesus and his work in view. Run to your Lord, not away from him. Receive his forgiveness, get back up, and follow him once more, knowing that each time you fail, you can experience your identity as one for whom Christ died.
Thank God, Jesus is always our mediator and we can always go to Him for restoration of our fellowship with the Heavenly Father. Do you need to stop what you are doing and deal with some sin or failure? As the father of the prodigal son waited for the son’s return, our Heavenly Father waits for you.