Stepping Up: Week 5 - Day 1

Day 1 - If You Kept a Record

Psalm 130
1 Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD;
2 O Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy.
3 If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
4 But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared.
5 I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope.
6 My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.
7 O Israel, put your hope in the LORD, for with the LORD is unfailing love and with him is full redemption.
8 He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins.


Verse 3 tells us that if God kept a record of our sins we would not stand a chance!  Instead, Christ paid the debt for all our sins. When we recognize we have sinned, we should ask forgiveness (which we will receive) and repent (which means to change our ways).

Once we have moved past the sin we need not and should not keep going back to it. In God's eyes it is over, done, finished.  The study said it wonderfully "You may think you're honoring God with misery over your past mistakes, but you're no. ...you're walking in unbelief - not trusting what He promised to do if you'd repent.  ...self-condemnation. It does not honor God."

Satan is using that self-condemnation to keep you in bondage, to keep you down, and to allow your enemy to continue to walk all over you (even your own thoughts can be your enemy). 
Psalm 32:3 When I refused to confess my sin, I was weak and miserable, and I groaned all day long.


Stop being miserable! Honor God by being grateful for His forgiveness.  Repent then respond to the forgiveness you have received with joy.
Psalm 32:1-2 Oh, what joy for those whose rebellion is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! Yes, what joy for those whose record the LORD has cleared of sin, whose lives are lived in complete honesty!