Let's talk about living in a broken world. I know that there are some of you, right now in this space, who are carrying an awful lot of shame for sins you have committed that - get this - you can’t change.
The thing is that we can’t take our sin back. There is not an undo button for us to press when we say the mean thing, when we walk down the wrong path, when we make the wrong choice, even if it is unintentional.
But we can find PEACE with the forgiveness of our sin because NONE of this is a surprise to God.
Did you know that God PLANNED for sin to enter the world? I mean, I had always thought He knew in a big, grand, God-knows-everything-anyway kind of way, but that’s not what it is. He actually PLANNED for Adam and Eve to fall into temptation.
God commanded Adam “you may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for IN THE DAY THAT YOU EAT OF IT, you shall surely die.” (Genesis 2:16)
He didn’t say IF you eat of it but WHEN.
This leaves us with these two takeaways :
1. God isn't surprised by your sin.
Your imperfection is not a surprise to Him. There should absolutely be a degree of conviction that leads to repentance, but carrying continued shame over past sins because you feel you’ve disappointed the Lord is only picking up the cross that Jesus already carried. Spoiler alert : He died for you anyway. Not only in spite of your sin but BECAUSE of it. So don’t let it sit in your heart when grace is being offered to you on the daily.
2. You cannot ruin Gods plan with your sin.
Will there be consequences? Likely. Will there be a detour? Maybe. But just as God has done since the beginning of time, He has PLANNED for this. He knows who you are and what you will do and every temptation that has come into your life is one that He ALLOWS (1 Corinthians 10:13). This is not just a high-level, God knows everything sort of woo-woo predestination vs. free will knowledge. This is an intimate knowledge of YOU and the plan He has for YOUR life……. DESPITE your sin.
So stop thinking YOU'RE purpose is thwarted. Stop thinking you’ve ruined everything and God can’t (or won’t) use you anymore.
Sin is sin is sin is sin.
It always will be, and you will continue to sin in big and small ways until you meet Jesus face to face. WE ALL WILL. But the good news is that God is greater than ALL our sins, and so is His plan for our lives and His plan for the Kingdom.
So stop using your sin as an excuse to stay on the sidelines. Get in the game and let Gods grace cover you as you continue to run on mission for Him, falling and sinning and repenting all along the way.