“For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” {Romans 5:6-8}
We run and we run and we run, and we hide and we hide and we hide from God. Why do we do it? For one little sin we run from Him. Instead of running towards Him, we run away from Him. When something reproaches us or bothers us and we know we’ve done something that is not pleasing before Him, instead of talking to Him about it so He can help us and we can feel better, we run and hide from Him. Out of all people we should be running away from, it shouldn’t be the Lord. Of all people that cares and loves us so much, it’s the Lord. He’s the sinner’s friend. He came for this very reason – to save us from our sins. But our running away from Him will not save us. Our running to Him is the only thing that will save us.
Shame. Shame is one of the number one tool that the enemy uses against us to keep us away from the Lord. Another one is guilt. Don’t fall for it. Even when you feel this way about yourself, talk to Him. The sooner we talk to the Lord about our sins, the sooner we will feel better about ourselves. What is there that the Lord doesn’t know about us already? The very intent of our hearts the Lord knows. So what are we going to hide from Him? Nothing. There is nothing we can hide from the Lord. It’s useless to run away from Him, especially when He loves us so much and He is for us and not against us.
God, being our friend means, that when we fall He understands us. His heart goes out to us because He knows the pain we’re suffering. He understands and sees even ahead of time when we’re about to sin and what that will do to us: shame, guilt, remorse, pain, and death. That’s why He died. That’s why He came to earth because He loves us so much and wants to do something about it. Running away from Him is not making His job easy. We’re just making it harder for Him to save us. He has not come to earth to condemn us. John 3:17 tell us,
“For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved.”
He has come to forgive us and to take our sins away. How is He supposed to take them away if we’re hiding them from Him? How is He supposed to help us and save us if we’re not being open to Him about ourselves and everything that we’re struggling with and are ashamed of? He is our friend. He wants to be our friend. He is here to help us and to love us, not condemn us. We’ve got to learn to talk to Him about our sins.
When it all comes down to it, we’re just going to have to be brave about our friendship with God. We’re going to have to learn to overcome our shame and fear of coming to God. We have to have faith in His love for us. Remember what the scripture tells us, without faith it is impossible to please God. {Hebrews 11:6} That means when we’ve done something wrong, we need to talk to Him about it. We need to believe that there is nothing that we can ever do that He cannot forgive us for. He will forgive us and show us love. He will give us life everlasting. We just need to simply talk to Him. A simple, “I’m sorry Jesus, please Savior forgive me for this sin and please help me to overcome this sin.” Even when it’s cringing you to death to admit to Him that you’ve been foolish, it is going to bring life instead of death. Have Him help you to overcome your love and your desire toward something that’s causing you to fall again and again. If it’s something you’re struggling with again and again, you need to be honest with Him about your struggle with it. The more open you are to Him the more you will find His help. Tell Him why you struggle. Be honest with Him if you love your sin. It’s not like He doesn’t know about that already. But by being honest with Him you are opening up the conversation with Him whereby He can help you, and finally deal with you and show you how to overcome. Without us being open with the Lord He cannot help us. He cannot show us how to overcome. But once we open up to Him, then we’re giving Him the power to help us. We’re allowing Him to take over us and show us the way to be. Sure, it’s not going to be easy. There are things that you’re going to have to give up in order for you to overcome, but by talking to Him about your struggle He can give you the strength and the help to overcome. He can take away the love you have for your sin. He will make this doable for you. Trust me on this because I’ve experienced this in my life first hand. This is what He is here for. He is our doctor. He is our specialist when it comes to delivering us from our sins. If we’re not honest with Him about what afflicts us, we will never get better. He has come to save us and deliver us from all our sins. Not just the easy and light ones, but from all of it. So, don’t just hand the Lord the easy ones, hand everything to Him.
The Bible tells us,
“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” {Romans 6:23}
The only way to live again is by confessing our sins to the Lord and asking for His grace and forgiveness. Even when we’ve already asked for the same thing over and over again in times’ past, ask again. Jesus told Peter that we’re supposed to forgive one another 490 times in one day. Remember the dialogue in the scriptures of Peter asking the Lord how many times we’re supposed to forgive our brother? Peter said, “Should it be 7 times Lord?” And the Lord said to Peter,
“I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.” {Matthew 18:22}
If the Lord is requiring for we who are sinners to forgive each other 490 times, how much more then will the Lord forgive us even more? And by the way this is just in one day. This doesn’t apply for a person’s lifetime. We’re supposed to forgive each other 490 times in one day. Can you imagine? I sure am having a hard time understanding that one. I sure need the Lord’s help on this one. But imagine then the love of God towards us? Imagine then how often we can definitely go to the Lord to find His forgiveness for us.
Even when it’s big, I mean really big, like the things we’re really ashamed about and no one knows about them, we shouldn’t run. Because it doesn’t matter how big or small our sins are, they are nothing to the Lord. Sure, it is a big deal to the Lord when we sin. He hates sin. It’s our sins that brought the Lord to die at the cross in the first place, but only because He wanted to reconcile us back to Him. And that’s the point – our sins are nothing to Him now since He paid the price for them already. He’s already made a way out for us from all our sins, so we shouldn’t run away from Him whenever we sin. We should go and find Him as soon as possible. Remember there is nothing He doesn’t know already. He knows every little detail of our secrets. There is nothing we can hide from Him. Nothing. But it doesn’t matter, because whatever the size of our sins are, Jesus has already taken care of it at the cross. It doesn’t matter how small or how great your sins are, it’s already been taken care of. Go claim your right to your forgiveness and atonement from the Lord. Don’t run and hide from Him, He’s your friend. Talk to Him.
Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. {Romans 5:9-11}
Prayer
Lord Jesus I thank You with all of my heart for Your great love for me. I thank You that there is nothing that I can ever do that will turn You away from me if I would just talk to You about it. You are here for me to forgive me and to save me from my sins. You are here for me to help me overcome everything and anything I’m struggling with in this life. Please Father, help me then to believe in Your great love for me and to come boldly before You and talk to You. I need You Jesus. I am lost and nothing without You. Please give me faith in Your great love for me and in Your power to take my sins away from me. Help me to talk to You regarding my sins. Father, I pray all of this in Your most wonderful and powerful name, Jesus. Thank You, Father. Amen.
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