Sin, Grace, and Forgiveness

It was at the Home Group this evening, that I had this wonderful thought concerning the forgiving grace of God. Like every other mortal being, I am a sinner. Even ’though I have been saved I remain, by nature, a sinner – i.e. one who has a tendency, an inclination, to sin.

But, not only do I sin – I seem to keep on repeating the same sins, over and over again! There is a lot in the writings of Paul that I don’t understand. But I do understand him when he writes to the Roman Christians, baring his innermost self to them: "... I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can't. I want to do what is good, but I don't. I don't want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don't want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.
I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God's law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God's law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin." (7:18-25)

The wonderful thought that came to me this evening is that when I come to the Lord, again, and tell Him, “Lord, I’m really sorry that I have to ask for Your forgiveness for this same sin yet again. This must be the – oh, I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve let You down on this one.”, He just puts His loving arms around me and whispers “I didn’t even start to count!”

What forgiveness; what grace; what love! And available to all who come to God the Father, through the God Son, by the power of God the Holy Spirit.