Playing Cards

“Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regrets.” 2 Co. 7:10

There have certainly been instances of sin in my life for which I was convicted requiring my plea for God’s forgiveness. Some were immediate sins for which I was aware and some were unconfessed and hidden sins that He had to shine the light upon for my discovery. Either way when conviction hits it hurts!

Even after our repentance and knowledge of His forgiveness that is ours we still remember our sin and many times keep its memory alive far beyond its usefulness. People live with regrets everyday which is a normal part of life as long as we have the mental capacity to remember. But when these regrets become thought absorbing and all consuming it may take on a sin of its own. When we are given the promise from God of forgiveness and fail to believe that promise we are communicating to God that our sin is bigger than our God. We live our lives as marked children not seeing ourselves as holy and forgiven thereby contradicting the promises of God.

We trump God’s card of forgiveness with the full house of self-condemnation. We lay down a losing hand when we carry a game winning card every time. We believe our own billing of sinner, loser and worthless. The repentance that creates a sorrowful and humble heart before God is the same repentance that creates life from death and good from evil. “For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life.” 2 Co. 2:15-16

Our repentance and forgiveness, which is freely given by God through Christ, will manifest in the beautiful aroma of life as we show our belief in the God of forgiveness and many chances instead of the god of regret and despair.

Which card will you lay down?