Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that He may have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.
Isaiah 55:6-7

We tend to cheapen grace, offering forgiveness where there is no repentance, but all through the Bible God calls us to leave our sin behind, forsake it, and come to be forgiven. Don’t skip the call to repentance!

God is full of compassion. He assures us that His forgiveness is “abundant,”which means more than enough, complete.

But my repentance never seems to be quite complete, never perfect. I cling fiercely to my sin, even as I agree with God that it’s wrong, and I’m still blind to other sins that I haven’t yet realized are wrong.

God’s forgiveness isn’t based on how perfect your repentance is, but on how perfect was the sacrifice that cleanses you. The Bible says that “Jesus is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through Him.” His sacrifice for you on the cross was perfect.

So we have this assurance: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Come to Him in repentance; recognize your sin for what it is when He points it out to you. Ask for and receive His forgiveness for Jesus’ sake, and let Him go to work on cleaning up all the unrighteousness still in you, as He promised.

Each time He puts His finger in another item that requires repentance and forgiveness, bring it to Him, receive His forgiveness and ask for His help to break that addiction to sin, too. It’s a process that will continue as long as you live, but the forgiveness is abundant, complete, perfect from the beginning.

Thank You, Father for providing perfect forgiveness as I come in sincere, though imperfect, repentance. Cleanse me from my unrighteousness, as You promised, as a loving Father corrects His child, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

Pastor Dan Giles