"If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him." - 1 John 3:20-22We all sin and we'll continue to make mistakes. We're not perfect. But we strive to love like Christ because Christ loved us first. And as Judah Smith once said, "Let's not get caught up in being forgiven. Let's focus on knowing the forgiver." But how do you deal with yourself when you sin?
For me, I can't help but feel guilt and a need to repent a million times over. I can't help but feel sorry and tired of disappointing God. And the conviction to repent is overwhelming, even after I pray for forgiveness. But as I read this passage, I couldn't help but be in awe of God's goodness.
It's my heart that convicts me to repent. But sometimes, it's to the point of lingering guilt. And of course, that's not of God. That lingering guilt prevents us from getting back up to fight on. But here's where the good news comes in. It says that "God is greater than our hearts". God has greater authority than our own hearts.
"For God did NOT send his Son into the world to CONDEMN the world, BUT to SAVE the world through him." - John 3:17If God does not condemn us, then we should not allow our hearts to condemn ourselves. Of course, that is not to say that we should ignore our convictions to repent. Instead, we should know that the lingering guilt is not of God.
God knows everything about us. Our past, present, and future mistakes/failures. And when he said "It is finished", it was finished at that moment. Period.
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