2-25-18 Daily Devotion

February 25, 2018 Grace and Ongoing Sin Romans 6:11-13 God’s mercy is everlasting. Sometimes, however, a Christian becomes convinced that divine forgiveness has limits. This usually happens when the person has repeatedly confessed a sin but finds himself returning to the habit anyway. Satan whispers to us that surely the Lord is weary of this cycle of sin and admission. But 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. Our heavenly Father 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 wants us to learn from our mistakes and 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 is infinite. No sin will ever be greater—or more frequent—than His capacity to forgive. Bible in One Year: Deuteronomy 12-14