Editor’sJourney
AN
OPEN LETTER TO THOSE WHO HAVE FALLEN
Dear Friend:
You’re not alone. The Bible
is filled with stories of people who fell away from God, but ultimately found
His forgiveness and favor. They became trophies of God’s grace and mercy
rather than symbols of human frailty.
Deep inside, you also want to come
back to God, but you don’t know what steps to take. You find it difficult
to believe He can forgive you because you can’t forgive yourself.
You’ve been hurt by Christians
who withheld their friendship and cast verbal stones after you made some poor
choices. Some have even decided you’re beyond reach. But they need to
remember that God’s gift of forgiveness is more powerful than your sin.
And God is more concerned with your future possibilities than He is your past
failures.
You think you’re unworthy
to sit in a sanctuary on Sunday morning, so you’ve stayed away from
church. But please understand that churches are not filled with perfect people;
they’re filled with forgiven people.
God wants to give you another chance.
He wants to return you to the body of Christ and restore you to spiritual
wholeness. He says so in His Word:
• “If we confess our
sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from
all unrigh-teousness” (1 John 1:9, NIV).
• “For I will forgive
their wickedness and will remember their sins no more” (Jeremiah 31:34).
• The blood of Jesus cleanses
“our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve
the living God!” (Hebrews 9:14).
Today is your opportunity
to become one of God’s trophies of grace. Don’t procrastinate.
Don’t let anyone or anything stand in your way. Return to
God and receive His gift of forgiveness. Follow
the ABCs of Salvation.
God is waiting right now to hear
you say, “Help me, forgive me and give me a new start.” And, rest
assured, He will answer your prayer.
Hal Donaldson
E-mail your comments to pe@ag.org.
