In last week’s devotion, I thanked my Friend Jesus for some of the things He has done for me. This week, I’m asking my Lord Jesus to forgive me for some of what I have done to Him.
- Psalm 51:4 Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight— That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge.
- King David knew a lot about sin; guilty of adultery and murder, Psalm 51 is his prayer of confession.
- Psalm 32:1 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered.
- David also experienced the joy of God’s forgiveness.
C.S. Lewis said:
To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable you.
- 1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
- How true; there is no excuse for my sin! The way of escape, a gift from God, too often becomes a missed opportunity to honor Him.
- Mark 14:38 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
- I have the indwelling Holy Spirit of God empowering me; yet sometimes I succumb to weaknesses and temptations.
- Colossians 2:13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses,
- But in His perfect and infinite love, grace and mercy, Jesus has forgiven all of my sin.
So, without excuse, here are some of my sins (along with the underlying issues I struggle with).
Lord Jesus, please forgive me when I:
Fall Short
Your standard is perfection. In You I am perfect (Hebrews 10:14). But in my daily life, I often fall short of Your requirements, guidelines and expectations. My words, thoughts, desires and actions don’t always bring honor to Your Name.
- My Adversary – Satan is real and he wants to destroy me (1 Peter 5:8). Jesus has defeated Satan; but the devil hasn’t been imprisoned yet.
- My Environment – God is temporarily allowing Satan to rule over earth. As a result, we live in a cesspool. It is hard to stay clean in this place. But Jesus has washed away my sin with His blood (Revelation 1:5)
- My Sin Nature – I got it from the first Adam but was delivered from it by the last Adam – Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:45). The power is in me to overcome sin; but I often fall short.
Don’t Try
As I strive to live a life that is pleasing to God, sometimes I focus way too much on what I shouldn’t do (Exodus 20:1-17). Perhaps I would have less time for or attention on the things I should avoid if I busied myself with the things I should be doing (Mark 16:15, Matthew 25:31-46).
- My Laziness – It is way too easy to put my perceived need for rest and relaxation above the legitimate needs of the lost and hurting (James 4:17).
- My Fear – Will I alienate someone if I come on too strong? Will I make mistakes? Will I not have all the right answers? Yes, yes and yes. Shame on me for making it about me; God’s got this! (1 John 4:18)
Don’t Know
I am human. And despite the arrogance and pride of our race, I know that I have limited mental capability (Proverbs 16:18).
- My Ignorance – God has revealed everything we need to know about Him; but He has not yet revealed everything about Himself (1 Corinthians 13:12)!
- My Inaction – I can always study more, ask more questions of other Christians and pray in faith for wisdom from God (James 1:5-6).
Don’t Understand
I have several ‘Shame on me’ sayings. One of them is, ‘Shame on me if I ever start thinking I have all this figured out.’ (Isaiah 40:13-14)
- My Confusion – Over the centuries great men and women of God have debated about some of the fundamental truths in scripture. Although there are many ways to apply God’s Word, sometimes I don’t correctly interpret His truth. The entire Bible is truth (Psalm 119:160).
- My Inability – Some things about God are beyond my ability to grasp (Romans 11:33).
Give Up
God has given us the power of the Holy Spirit to enable us to fulfill His plans (Acts 1:8).
- My Discouragement – But sometimes things don’t go the way I think they should (Proverbs 16:9).
- My Exhaustion – I look for rest for my body in bed and rest for my mind in distractions; but I am usually not well rested. I can only find true rest in Jesus Christ (Matthew 11:28).
Willfully Disobey
We are born disobedient; it is our nature. Some people are defiant in big ways, some in smaller ways. Any disobedience regarding God’s law makes us guilty of all of it (James 2:10). That is why we need a Savior!
- My Rebellion – I have never found any lasting satisfaction in rebelling against God; yet I still do it? (Psalm 95:8)
- My Desires – Wanting what I don’t need, doing things I shouldn’t do, saying what I shouldn’t say… All of these dishonor my Heavenly Father (Proverbs 6:16-19).
In summary:
The Truth
- 1 John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
The Beautiful Promise
- 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.
My sin is inexcusable.
But my Savior’s grace
is inexhaustible!
Prayer
God, be merciful to me a sinner!
