For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.
Lamentations 3:22-23 (NIV)
Because of the Lord’s great love, we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
Hebrews 8:12 (NKJV)
I am a sinner. Almost every day, there will be a stray thought, an errant deed. Just today I intentionally slow-walked while crossing a parking gantry because a car deliberately tried to cut me off as I was crossing. Was it right? No. Was it satisfying? A very tiny bit yes.
But did it cause my heart to speed up and constrict as I was walking away from the encounter? Yes, double confirmed. In the end I think it wasn’t worth it.
No one is exempt from sinning. That’s an absolute truth right there. No matter how grounded you are in God; no matter how learned you think may be on theology and religious theories; no matter how long you have spent in the church, doing everything from wiping down the pews to teaching on the pulpit —you are not exempt.
In fact, I submit that the closer you are to God, the more opportunities you have to commit a sin.
This is not to say that we have a license to sin. That the constant barrage of temptations gives us the right to say, “I can’t help it, it was too much.”
This knowledge should keep us humble. It should remind us everyday of our human fallibility, and in stark contrast, of the constancy of God.
But knowing our vulnerability is just one half of the equation. God would never leave us in this condition without giving us an anchor of hope – that is the promise of His forgiveness.
In His omniscience, God knows when we are repentant, and fully seeking restoration. God knows the intentions of our heart. He knows when we are fully submitted to Him. And in His wisdom and grace, and infinite mercy, He forgives us our sins.
I asked God for forgiveness for my small incident this morning, and I am fairly sure He forgave me. I hope the driver also did, somehow. It was a white car. Whoever you are, sorry for cutting you off! It might happen again though… sorry.
