Psychiatrist Karl Menninger once said that if he could convince the patients in psychiatric hospitals that their sins were forgiven, 75 percent of them could walk out the next day! Even if this is exaggerated by half . . . that means over a third of the people! That is incredible.
Unfortunately as a pastor I have witnessed all too often how guilt and shame can incapacitate people, keeping them stuck in the past and unwilling or unable to move forward and be the person God has called them to be.
What prevents us from coming to God and receiving the forgiveness, the pardon for our sins, that we so desperately need?
- Fear – I don’t turn to God because I am afraid of what might happen.
- Lack of trust – I don’t turn to God because I really don’t think He will keep His promises.
- Refusal to change – I don’t turn to God because I want to go my own way, which is against His way.
- Pride is in control – I don’t turn to God because I would rather choose Hell over humility.
- Image management – I don’t turn to God because I don’t want to face reality.
- Self-righteousness – I don’t turn to God because I think I have to earn His favor.
There are probably other reasons that could be given, but I think it all ultimately boils down to the fact that we really don’t know who God is and what He is about – His nature. If we did, we wouldn’t be shackled to the guilt and shame that kills us.
Here are two important verses of scripture we all need to see, commit to memory and bury into the center of our spiritual DNA.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” – 1 John 1:9 (NIV)
We think of confession with images like an interrogation room in a Law and Order episode where the truth is squeezed out of us, but that is not what confession is for. God didn’t call us to confess our sins in order to humiliate us or even to keep us in check. He called us to confess our sins in order to give Him an opportunity to heal us with His grace and mercy. Confession and repentance then becomes a means for God to enter in and transform our lives. To not believe God can or will do this is to fundamentally call Him a liar.
“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.” – 1 John 2:1-2 (NKJV)
Propitiation means safe shelter. We can turn to God because He is the safe shelter for ALL sinners. When we turn to Him He extends the grace that can transform our lives forever. Without our turning to Him there is no place of safety and no avenue for grace to enter our lives. God is a safe shelter we can turn to and, when we do, He lifts the guilt and shame from our lives and sets us free.
Why would anyone avoid the safe shelter that God's forgiveness provides? What is another way to make this clearer?
Not sure to to make it clearer, but I do know that many shy away because they feel He isn't answering their prayers. What they fail to realize is that sometimes they should be thankful for "unanswered prayers". Sometimes His plan isn't visible to us, but once it goes into action we will rejoice.
ReplyDeletei think that soemtime someone may have been let down by some many that should have been thier first trust exerpeince that they slowly learn that noone words are to ever be trust and believed. take a child who is beaten lied to sexualiy abused physical abused by their earthly parents that child may feel that none would could want they love them forgive them for anything so how does a person learn to trust someone when thier own birth was a mistake
ReplyDeleteAt times, it is a combination of these... especially image management (aka "denial") and refusal to change. God may have had that in mind when he gave the words of Jeremiah 29:11.
ReplyDeleteI pray every day for God to guide ME to be the person God wants me to be. With God to guide me, how could I fail to be in line with His plan and purpose for my life. Each day brings me a new day to be better than the day before. I do not see what God's plan and purpose is for me, but I have faith that if I pray, I will be guided. M.E.
ReplyDeleteThe post...above....M.E..... Should have been posted to the May 7 th Blog entitled "Where I Am Or Who I Am." Sorry!
ReplyDeleteThis seems to me to be the most important subject that could be discussed. difficult, though, because there are so many areas to be considered. Read several times trying to decide just who was being addressed here. Well,think about it,..the non believer, nominal christian, regular church attendee, not sure of where they might be with the Lord, or, surely not the "christians." Then, the question of where this confessing is to be done. Well, who would have a problem with just talking with God , since we understand that the alter is in our heart, so no need to discuss with others? The public part would be taken care of with baptism, right? Suppose this seems so important to me is that, not every day, but often enough, someone says to me that they would like to pray at the alter, but think the people would wonder what awful thing they had done. This, in the church?..not necessarily ours. The last thing that concerns me in all of this is one thing that was mentioned in the blog...self righteousness..just wonder how many people really do not understand the seriousness of this. Scanned the book of Matthew..How many warnings, directly from Jesus, about the way we must live, and the awfulness of life after death, if we have not received this forgiveness. thanks for a great Blog. HSM
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