July 27th, 2022

No Sin too Ugly for God's Mercy

Matthew 12:31-32 NKJV

"Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come." 

      I was raised in a little white church that my family had attended for years and years prior to my existence. I love that little white church, and to this day I still attend services there every Sunday morning with my kids and husband. For some time, though, I had dipped my toes into the waters of a different denomination than I was used to. I practiced this faith for many, many years, and while I have not a single bad thing to say about that faith or the people of it, it wasn't for me. Here's why: Their belief system was very strict, and my perception of their message made me fear Jesus (in a bad way) because I truly believed that judgement would be so harsh that I wouldn't even come close to seeing Heaven. I questioned if, even though I practiced repentance, I would be forgiven. Eventually, I stopped going to church and started hiding for Jesus. But friends, God works everything out for good. One day, I picked up the good book, I went back to the church I was comfortable in, and God opened up my eyes to the true reality of judgment... and it's not as bad as you think.

      In one of His many teachings, Jesus explains to the crowd (directed especially towards the Pharisees) that all sins are forgivable, excluding one which is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. This is when you totally and intentionally reject the work of the Lord to its entirety. Thus, rejecting the Holy Spirit who stands as a witness to the testimony of Jesus Christ, and is our direct connection to God. So, where I'm heading with this is that we don't have to be afraid of God simply because of our offenses. We don't have to run. We don't have to hide. We can't! He sees us anyways. Do not allow the fact that you have ugly sins, and you haven't confessed yet to keep you from coming forth in faith and accepting your role as a child of God! It doesn't matter how ugly the sin is, He can and WILL forgive you, but you must be bold enough to come forth and ask Him to. 

I want to encourage you, if you haven't already, to come forth and accept the gift of salvation Jesus is so graciously offering us. Ask Him to forgive you of your transgressions and repent. Don't be afraid of Him, friends, because He loves you so much.