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Sometimes We Forget

hldude

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“Sometimes We Forget”
By Zach Wood
1 Timothy 1:15-16 NIV
Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life.


If you’re anything like, you forget things often. It doesn’t seem to matter what age you are, you forget things all through life. It is easy to be forgetful. We tend to forget the simplest things in life and then we do a smack on the forehead when we come to recall what we’ve forgotten and we say, “I cannot believe I forgot that!” You wouldn’t be a human being if you didn’t forget things.

Sometimes we forget important dates. Sometimes we forget promises that we’ve made to others. Sometimes we forget to pickup the kids after an activity if we’ve had a crazy day at work. Sometimes we forget we’ve left stuff in the yard and rain comes to soak it down.

We often forget, sadly, how destined we are to death if Jesus Christ hadn’t come to give His life for us. We get so wrapped up in life that we often forget we cannot do anything without Him. We tend to think so much of ourselves by all the things we can do on our own and in our own strength and we forget how destitute we really are when we take life on our own. If we really think about it, as Paul describes here, we are the worst sinners. Paul didn’t think highly of himself. Even though he became one of the greatest influences in the NT and in the church, He was easily reminded that he was the worst of sinners.

Sometimes, we certainly need a reality check to remember and realize how far off from God we really are and how desperately we need Him. Jesus came to save us because we are filthy. We have turned away from Him and gone our own way so many times. But we often tend to just go through life thinking we are pretty awesome. We get pretty full of ourselves and think we’re doing pretty good. God looks at the prideful heart and sees a sinner who desperately still needs Him. He sees through our beaming attitude of arrogance and knows that we really need Him more than ever.

God is certainly patient with us. He wants us to completely rely on Him and most of all to never forget how very much we need Him. Paul considered himself the worst of sinners. How do we see ourselves? Do we think more highly of ourselves than we ought? Or do we see ourselves as filthy rags that need His cleansing? We are nothing without Him. That’s blunt, I know, but it’s the truth. Jesus saves us from our life of disgust and we need to be reminded of the wonderful cleansing He has given us.

Sometimes we forget.
 
Never be ashamed to ask for God’s mercy. If you deserved it, you wouldn’t need it. That’s why we are saved “according to his mercy” (Titus 3:5). It’s also why his mercies are “new every morning” (Lamentations 3:23). His mercy is greater than your sin. He’s ready to clean up the mess you made in the last 24 hours. Lay hold of God’s mercy. There’s plenty to go around. A fresh supply just arrived from heaven this morning.
 
To know the name of Christ is nothing to the soul as it will die without Christ, but to know Christ and have that personal relationship with Him is life to our soul as we live eternally with Him.
 
Amen

a man with the nick charisinexelcis somewhere on the interwebs once explained to the chatroom the difference between mercy and grace.

Mercy is got getting what you deserve. (Damnation)
Grace is getting what you don't deserve. (Salvation)
 
Amen

a man with the nick charisinexelcis somewhere on the interwebs once explained to the chatroom the difference between mercy and grace.

Mercy is got getting what you deserve. (Damnation)
Grace is getting what you don't deserve. (Salvation)
Mercy loves us in spite of our sin and grace pardons our sin when we repent and ask for forgiveness, but grace does not give us a license to sin.
 
Mercy loves us in spite of our sin and grace pardons our sin when we repent and ask for forgiveness, but grace does not give us a license to sin.

Just clarify for me if you will. Are you saying that if we do not ask for forgiveness that we are not forgiven? What is sin? Jesus said the sin of the world was not to beleive in him. What does it mean to repent? If I was to get angry with my wife yet died before I repented or lied to someone is that sin not forgiven? Of course we are told to confess our sin, but is that for forgiveness? Were not our sins forgiven on the cross and therefore confession is the washing of ones feet as such, to continue an open relationship with God? Confession releases us, can we not confess and thank God that because of Jesus we are forgiven? My kids get it wrong but I still love them the same, I want them to talk to me about it not to forgive them cause I already have but only because I want them to know our relationship is still in tact and now we can move forward but more importantly I STILL LOVE THEM.

Sorry for the barrage of questions. I agree with you in that grace does not give us license to walk against the grace of God, use it to satisfy fleshy desires, Paul addressed that issue in Romans.

I'm not sure I agree with your position of asking for forgiveness in order to be forgiven, yes we confess because we love God he loves us and wants the best for us and we want to be like him.
 
Just clarify for me if you will. Are you saying that if we do not ask for forgiveness that we are not forgiven? What is sin? Jesus said the sin of the world was not to beleive in him. What does it mean to repent? If I was to get angry with my wife yet died before I repented or lied to someone is that sin not forgiven? Of course we are told to confess our sin, but is that for forgiveness? Were not our sins forgiven on the cross and therefore confession is the washing of ones feet as such, to continue an open relationship with God? Confession releases us, can we not confess and thank God that because of Jesus we are forgiven? My kids get it wrong but I still love them the same, I want them to talk to me about it not to forgive them cause I already have but only because I want them to know our relationship is still in tact and now we can move forward but more importantly I STILL LOVE THEM.

Sorry for the barrage of questions. I agree with you in that grace does not give us license to walk against the grace of God, use it to satisfy fleshy desires, Paul addressed that issue in Romans.

I'm not sure I agree with your position of asking for forgiveness in order to be forgiven, yes we confess because we love God he loves us and wants the best for us and we want to be like him.

We actually confess our sin to God to keep a good line of fellowship with Him so we do not grieve the Holy Spirit by our actions, Ephesians 4:29-32. It's just basically that we are agreeing with God that we messed up even though He has already forgiven our sin before we even confess it to Him. It's like a father that loves his child even though the child will mess up at times. We have already been forgiven by God so essentially when we sin against someone we will pay the consequences if any for whatever that sin may bring about in our own life, Hebrews 10:26.
 
Mercy loves us in spite of our sin and grace pardons our sin when we repent and ask for forgiveness, but grace does not give us a license to sin.
Of course it doesn't
... but despite of that, Jesus died for us while we were sinners. He didn't say "stop sinning first, then I'll do it" :)
 
Awesome post. Reminds us how God is with us even when we sometimes forget he is there. :)
 
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