When we fail, what do we do?

There are many days when I miss the mark. Some times I feel paralyzed in the guilt and shame of my failure.

At first, I may be afraid to admit my failure or tempted to justify it, but when I do admit it, my natural response is "how can I improve and avoid making the same wrong choice again?"; maybe If I pull myself up by my own bootstraps and I am more determined and I work harder, I'll succeed."

Inevitably, that's when fear sets in.

Fear of repeat failure

Fear of letting someone else down

Fear of things outside my control

Why? Why do I start to fear?

I start to fear because, when my focus shifts inward and I start to look to my own determination & strength, I see my weak and flawed self.

I start to fear because, I see how lacking my ability is.

Jesus said, "Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." (John 15:5)

I can do nothing apart from Christ.

He is my Source of Life, my Source of Truth, and my Source of strength.

God in His loving kindness reminds me of His Way!

Romans 3:23-24 says: "For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith."

When we have faith in Jesus Christ, He gives us His indwelling Spirit and we are no longer slaves to sin. We stand righteous before God because we are in Jesus Christ and His righteousness covers us. The Spirit of God works in our hearts to produce a desire for God above all else and helps us choose Truth rather than sin.

Unfortunately we still sin.

What is sin?

John Piper describes it this way:

The glory of God not honored. ▪ The holiness of God not reverenced. ▪ The greatness of God not admired. ▪ The power of God not praised. ▪ The truth of God not sought. ▪ The wisdom of God not esteemed. ▪ The beauty of God not treasured. ▪ The goodness of God not savored. ▪ The faithfulness of God not trusted. ▪ The promises of God not believed. ▪ The commandments of God not obeyed. ▪ The justice of God not respected. ▪ The wrath of God not feared. ▪ The grace of God not cherished. ▪ The presence of God not prized. ▪ The person of God not loved.

As followers of Jesus, how should we see sin?

We should see sin for what it is. Sin is a love of anything or anyone above God and it is believing the lie that something or someone, other than God, can fulfill us.

God hates sin and it grieves Him because He knows how it damages, destroys, and ultimately leads to eternal death for those who do not have faith in Jesus Christ.

For those who are in Christ, through faith in Him, sin diminishes our communion with God and can have damaging consequences.

We should hate sin as God does and we start by hating the sin that is in our own life.

When we sin, what does God want us to do?

1 John 1:8-10 says:

"If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us."

Confess: (homologeo) to agree with, to declare openly, to praise

When we sin, God calls us to:

•Agree with Truth

We believe what His Word says is sin, is truly sin.

•Declare our sin openly to Him

We come humbly before Him in prayer, heart-broken over our sin, and admit what we've sinfully thought, done, or spoken.

•Praise God

We praise Him for revealing sin in our lives, praise Him for forgiving us, and praise Him for cleansing us from all unrighteousness.

The response God wants me to have when I sin, is to turn to Him, not myself; to cast off my self-reliance and "ability" to pull myself up by my own bootstraps.

Instead, I can approach my Loving Father and give Him my feelings of guilt and shame.

I can give Him my fearful thoughts, acknowledge my weakness and lack of ability before Him, and ask Him for help.

When we do this, look at God's promise:

"He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Forgive: (aphiemi) to send away, to remit (cancel or refrain from exacting or inflicting (a debt or punishment).

Cleanse: (katharizo) to purge and purify

When I turn to Him my fear is banished!

He sends my sin away, casting it into the depths of the sea and He purges and purifies my heart and life. He is perfect, lacking nothing!

"Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16)

Grace (Charis) the merciful kindness by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles them to the exercise of the Christian virtues

God calls us to hate sin, but when we sin, to humbly turn to Him for forgiveness and grace. Look at the effects of God's grace:

•It keeps us

•It strengthens us

•It increases our faith

•It increases our affection for Him

•It produces obedience to God's Word

Wow! We cannot find that in ourselves, in anything or anyone else!

His Word says, "He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way." (Psalm 25:9)

The Lord in His loving kindness reminds me:

•Not to become paralyzed by guilt and shame

•To yeild to the Holy Spirit's conviction that reveals sin in my heart

•To run to Him, my Father, who loves me, teaches me and leads me in what is right...

Look at the story of the prodigal son:

SON:I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. (Confession) I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’(Humility) And he arose and came to his father.

FATHER:But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. (Love and forgiveness) But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate.

The Father forgave His son and gave him a purposeful position in the family.

What an Awesome, Loving, and Merciful Father we have!

He has accepted us because of Jesus Christ and has given us a purposeful position in His family as a son or daughter.

"The only person who dares wake up a king at 3 am for a glass of water, is a child. We have that kind of access." (Timothy Keller)

We have that kind of access to our Heavenly Father, anytime, including when we've sinned.

Blessings,

Amy