2 Chronicles 33:1-20
Every day this week on BttB we're looking at different people who had to start over. Today is Manasseh and oh, what a story. It's one of my all time favorites. If television had been around in Manasseh's day, he would have been the star on the hottest Extreme Makeover show.
I'm really good at dredging up wrongs from my past and beating myself over the head with them. I know, it's not smart and it's not productive, but I still go there (my husband will vouch for this). That's why I'm thankful we can read about Manasseh and others like him. When I see all of Manasseh's sins followed by God's absolute forgiveness (no reminders, no ongoing penalties), it helps me get my thinking back on track.
How can we accept God's forgiveness completely? Any thoughts on how can we work on not penalizing ourselves for past sin and allowing it to cripple us as we live out our Christian lives? Tami W.
Tammi,
In the beginning of my christian walk I struggled greatly with the guilt of past sin, and it held me back from being a strong witness to my family and friends. I had a wonderful friend, who was my pastor at the time, tell me that every time we pick up the guilt of a past sin God has forgiven us of we are telling Him we didn't trust Him to forgive us of it. That struck home to me. Being reminded daily that God is trustworthy to do what He says He will do, and that He is bigger than my sin, helps me to let go of the guilt. With a thankful and grateful heart I can step out and be the faithful witness of His loving grace to others.
Hi,
Thank you for this service.
For me, I think it's easier to accept God's forgiveness and move on (and I have made some really big sins)than it is to get over the fact of where I could be in life if I had only been obedient to God. If only I had nurtured that relationship with Him, let him grow me and mature me, instead of my making foolish mistakes and leading myself down the wrong paths. And consequently ending up in some miserable situations of life. But! What is so amazing with God is that he works with us where we are, when we surrender to Him. I believe that he can restore those lost moments and for His glory bring me to a better place to bless me, my family and others, and himself. I just have to trust Him, and walk by Faith knowing that God loves me and wants good for me.
When we ask for forgivness and repent of our sins we have to believe that God is true to his word and Trust Him. When we hold on to guilt and condemnation it makes our walk with God more difficuilt. In essence we are putting our authority above God. That is exactly what Satan wants us to do. We are not accepting Gods Grace either. Trust in God and let go of our guilt when we repent and meditate on Gods Grace and Word. Take the time to listen and Soak in his word and be still.
The passage also shows how God will use a "baseball bat" to bring his people back to Him! OUCH! We need to be open to hearing His "small quiet voice" so we do not have to experience the "baseball bat".
When I read this story my human response is he deserved it for all he did but then I realize I too deserve it. God does not have a sliding scale. Sin is sin. The difference is how far we have to walk back to get into right relationship with God. A wise person told me once that it takes just as long to get out of the forest as it did to get into it. Habits are hard to break and some sins are hard to leave behind but trusting in God's promise of forgiveness and his mercy makes working at it worthwhile.
I do agree with the comments that when we confess our sins and God has forgiven us we should just move on. What is the use of bringing them up again? When He who is the only One who can forgive us has said, "You are forgiven". It is better to use that time to get to know His Word some more and trust what He says and do. God tells the truth all the time. So let's thank Him for His mercy and forgiveness and move on.
We can accept God's forgiveness completely by studying His word. The more we study, the more we will know and build a better relationship with Our Lord and Savior.
When we trust God with every aspect of our lives, the sins of our past become our living testimony of the mercy, grace and lovingkindness of Our Lord. These are the things we remember when we witness to others. We were once lost, so we don't judge someone because of their sin. We meet them at their level, knowing that The Holy Spirit will show us the way.
Sometimes, I just think back to where I was and where I could have been and I just Praise Our Lord for His longsuffering and mercy. I am so thankful that God is a God of second chances and I was able to start over. God is Awesome!
I always tell friends that as people we all make mistakes and we must learn from them. "Stupid" people do not learn and will continue to make the same mistake, but the experience of the mistake does become etched in ones mind so that we don't repeat it. In other words we learn and become better people. I sin, we all do. I feel blessed that Jesus, through His death on the cross provides for the atonement of our sins and as a result no one is beyond the reach of God's forgiveness. I do move on but remember the the fact that I have sinned. The realization that I have sinned and that through God's mercy and grace I am forgiven just brings me closer to God. I now am better able to resist sinful temptations.
When I begin to feel the return of guilt and dwell over past sins already forgiven, it helps me to remember to have an "attitude of gratitude." I thank Jesus again and again for all He has done for me, pulling me from the past into His marvelous presence! It helps to change my focus. We are all sinners, and Jesus knows that about us - that's why He came to redeem us! That is far better to be meditating upon than my past regrets!
Thank you and all praise to You, Jesus!
God can do anything with the sin in our lives. Manassah is an example of that. He did not do what was right in the eyes of God and God made him pay for it. He let Manassah be captured and taken to Babylon. Putting a hook in his nose had to be very painful. But Manassah prayed to God and asked for help and forgiveness and that is all God wants us to do. When we sin, we are supposed to ask for forgiveness and we have all sinned. I thank Jesus every day for what he has done for me and for what he brought me out of. There are probably things he has done for me and situations he has brought me out of that I know nothing about. That is how omnipotent that he is.