In Touch - Feb. 1, 2008

In Touch Daily Devotional
by Dr. Charles Stanley

            God’s mercy is everlasting. Sometimes, though, a Christian becomes convinced that His forgiveness has limits. This usually happens when the person has repeatedly confessed a sin but finds himself returning to the habit anyway. Satan whispers that the Lord must surely be weary of this constant sin/admission cycle. As always, the Enemy lies. The truth is that a believer cannot sin his way out of God’s grace, no matter how many times he confesses the same wrongdoing. 

            Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross paid our past, present, and future sin-debt. This means that no matter how great our offense or how often we sin, God’s grace covers every transgression. He forgives as often as necessary. 

            Anytime I preach on this topic, a few people will ask if I am promoting grace as a license to sin. The Lord’s mercy is not a “get out of jail free” card. His forgiveness is infinite, but that does not mean we can get away with sin. As a loving Father, God disciplines His children. He shows us where we have gone wrong and how we can correct our actions to return to the path of righteousness. 

            God desires that each of His children grow in righteousness and reflect the nature of His Son Jesus Christ. He understands that maturing our faith is a lifelong process. Sometimes we will make mistakes and fall into sinful patterns from which we must be restored. Our Father is pleased to draw us back into a right relationship because His grace in infinite. No sin will ever be greater—or more frequent—than His capacity to forgive.

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