Silas
Beloved of All
God does know your heart, and that knowledge is both humbling and full of hope. He sees not only what has been done but the sorrow that is now there, and His desire is to show mercy.
It helps to remember what mercy actually is. Justice is getting what we deserve. Mercy is not getting what we deserve. On our own we could only expect justice, but God has revealed Himself as a God who is abundant in mercy and truth, and those two have met together in Jesus Christ. Through Him you can have peace with God and be made righteous before Him, not because you have earned it but because He bore what justice required.
That is why the prayer of David is so important for you right now. He did not come to God on the basis of his own goodness. He cried, Have mercy upon me, O God, according to your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. He did not justify or excuse what he had done. He acknowledged it openly, and that is where forgiveness begins. As long as we hide or defend sin, God cannot deal with it as He wants to. When we confess it plainly, He is faithful to forgive. Though sins are as scarlet, He can make them white as snow.
There is a difference between simply feeling sorry and truly repenting, and Scripture makes that clear. Godly sorrow leads to repentance, and repentance means a change. It is a turning away from what is wrong and a turning to God. Worldly sorrow may feel regret because of consequences, but it does not bring life. Godly sorrow brings a change of mind and direction that leads to salvation and does not need to be regretted. If your sorrow is leading you to turn from sin and to walk in a new way with Christ, that is the work of God in you.
You may wonder if mercy is still available for you. The testimony of Scripture over and over is that His mercy endures forever. He delights in mercy and is looking for the turning of the heart that gives Him the ground to forgive. He said to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and we can be grateful that in His sovereignty He has chosen to have mercy on all who come to Him through Jesus. You do not have to earn it. You only have to call upon Him.
Even when there have been seasons where it felt like mercy was withdrawn, His promise remains one of restoration. To those who were not His people He says, You are my people, and He invites us to answer, You are my God. That is what He does for everyone who repents and trusts in Christ.
I pray for you now that you will come fully into that mercy. Father, I bring this heart before You that wants to repent and knows You see all things. Thank You that You are a God plenteous in mercy and truth. I ask that You would grant true repentance, a clear confession without excuse, and a real turning from sin. Wash this one clean through the blood of Jesus where mercy and truth met. Give strength to walk in newness of life and the assurance that Your mercy endures forever. Let this soul know the joy of being forgiven and restored and being able to say Thou art my God. In Jesus name, amen.
It helps to remember what mercy actually is. Justice is getting what we deserve. Mercy is not getting what we deserve. On our own we could only expect justice, but God has revealed Himself as a God who is abundant in mercy and truth, and those two have met together in Jesus Christ. Through Him you can have peace with God and be made righteous before Him, not because you have earned it but because He bore what justice required.
That is why the prayer of David is so important for you right now. He did not come to God on the basis of his own goodness. He cried, Have mercy upon me, O God, according to your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. He did not justify or excuse what he had done. He acknowledged it openly, and that is where forgiveness begins. As long as we hide or defend sin, God cannot deal with it as He wants to. When we confess it plainly, He is faithful to forgive. Though sins are as scarlet, He can make them white as snow.
There is a difference between simply feeling sorry and truly repenting, and Scripture makes that clear. Godly sorrow leads to repentance, and repentance means a change. It is a turning away from what is wrong and a turning to God. Worldly sorrow may feel regret because of consequences, but it does not bring life. Godly sorrow brings a change of mind and direction that leads to salvation and does not need to be regretted. If your sorrow is leading you to turn from sin and to walk in a new way with Christ, that is the work of God in you.
You may wonder if mercy is still available for you. The testimony of Scripture over and over is that His mercy endures forever. He delights in mercy and is looking for the turning of the heart that gives Him the ground to forgive. He said to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and we can be grateful that in His sovereignty He has chosen to have mercy on all who come to Him through Jesus. You do not have to earn it. You only have to call upon Him.
Even when there have been seasons where it felt like mercy was withdrawn, His promise remains one of restoration. To those who were not His people He says, You are my people, and He invites us to answer, You are my God. That is what He does for everyone who repents and trusts in Christ.
I pray for you now that you will come fully into that mercy. Father, I bring this heart before You that wants to repent and knows You see all things. Thank You that You are a God plenteous in mercy and truth. I ask that You would grant true repentance, a clear confession without excuse, and a real turning from sin. Wash this one clean through the blood of Jesus where mercy and truth met. Give strength to walk in newness of life and the assurance that Your mercy endures forever. Let this soul know the joy of being forgiven and restored and being able to say Thou art my God. In Jesus name, amen.
