"You were dead because of your
sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive
with Christ for He forgave all our sins." Colossians 2:13
"If only I could go back and change what I did. Can you give me some
hope?".
Feelings
of bleak desolation have descended on so many lives. People are
wrestling with the burdens of sin that they have carried secretly over countless
remorseful and painful years, struggling with guilt so heavy it becomes an impediment in
their lives. This paints even the simplest joys a dull, joyless gray and the feeling
of unworthiness lays heavily on the conscience, along with the great fear that salvation
may be lost.
At this point Satan steps right in and preys on this thinking, highlighting
each sin every chance he can for he knows you are frightened and without hope. The déjà
vu of adultery, abortion, and thievery and other sin is played endlessly in your head,
until you are afraid there is nothing you can do to restore yourself in God’s eyes.
In the face of such crippling and bone crushing realization of sin, can you
get beyond your wicked past and find reconciliation with the Lord? Is there truly a remedy
for rectifying sin, putting away sin filled yesterdays once and for all in order to walk
in the freedom that Christ offers?
I want to emphasize right now that no one has to walk around in shame and
fear because of sin, no matter how large it is. You mustn’t allow yourself to feel
you have lost the right to ask for forgiveness. As long as you have life, there is
great hope for you, because Christ offers that hope and all you have to do is reach out
and take it. It was paid for over two thousand years ago when He looked down through
the annals of time and saw your baggage of sin you have been carrying around. He took the
ugliness of your sin and mine, paid the price you could not pay, and washed those sins
clean in His blood on the cross, then stamped it “Paid In Full.” The only thing
He waits for is you. He waits for you to lay claim to the freedom from your sins by
asking Him to forgive you.
Jesus Christ offers this way for me to take back my past, a way to eradicate the sin
that is still alive in my conscience. Sadly He waits with infinite love, my bundles
of sin piled high in front of Him, yes all of it that I have been carrying around for so
long. He waits patiently for me to acknowledge that I sinned and need His help. Once
forgiven, He will gently put the keys of peace and courage into my hands so that I can
walk through the door of God’s house with renewed strength. With His forgiveness I
can now release myself from the bonds of moral anguish and the grasp of Satan's evil.
If
I can free myself from my PAST by handing it to God through His forgiving
mercy, I liberate myself from the hold that it has on my PRESENT. I no longer am tied to
sin, paying the penalty of alienation from Almighty God. Psalms 85:2 tells,“You
forgave the guilt of your people, yes, you covered all their sins.” And so,
if I can give myself up to God’s mercy I will live in the peace He has waiting. If I
have offended my neighbor I can and must seek to rescind that offense by admitting fault. If I have hurt anyone, I must make amends. If I have stolen money, I must restore it. If I
have committed sexual sins or abortion, I must not repeat these sins again. With this
resolve I will find the peace Jesus Christ gives within the quiet of my heart. “But
when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your
Father in heaven will forgive your sins too.” Mark 11:25. Through my recognition of God’s forgiveness,
I will grow strong under His mercy and find the clarity to make restitution as best I can
to others, knowing the Lord will show me a way. Col. 3:13 tells me "Bear with each
other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the
Lord forgave you".
So I must not worry about the time I have lived in sin; I must work with the
time I have left. And with this time, whether it is a day, a year or more I will work to
remedy the past by living in the present. I cannot undo my sin by myself but I can face
the future with the forgiving power Jesus offers to me. And through that power I reclaim
those years by throwing it away as garbage. If God can throw it away so can I.
He provides the only way I can do that. Do not live in guilt or dishonor. Do not live in regret or disgrace. Take back your past through the forgiving blood of Jesus Christ. God has promised to move you out of the darkness of sin and cover you with His light. In Isaiah 44:22 we have His promise to those who ask for forgiveness for He vows: “I have swept away your sins like a cloud. I have scattered your offenses like the morning mist. Oh, return to me, for I have paid the price to set you free.” Please keep in mind that Almighty God has everlasting love for you and is available at all times. As a Catholic Christian, take advantage of the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) and free yourself of the things that destroy and damage your faith. Come back home, knowing you are in full communion with God and the Church.
God
knows
the reality of human sin. All sin is an
offense to the perfect holiness of God. But He made a way for us even though we do
not deserve it; He bought us the right to cleanse ourselves of our wrongdoing through the
sacrifice of His Son. Even though we were dead because of sin, He made us alive through
His supreme love. He will forgive you, no
matter how grave the offense, if you truly are sorry. Remember, He alone knows if you mean
it and this forgiveness is only valid if you are sincere. Pray steadily and quietly,
listening to God’s voice when He speaks to your heart. He will have an answer
for you. The litany of “If only” that you lived with will be erased
forever. With God’s forgiveness, you can take back your past by finding the peace
only the Lord can give.
“And I will forgive their
wickedness, and I will never again
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