“And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.” Luke 15:20-24
An attorney was once studying the Scriptures. He was reading about forgiveness and the parable of the debtor. Feeling led of the Lord, he decided to forgive the debts of anyone who had owed him money for more than six months. Despite how painful the thought of how much money he was losing, he drafted a letter telling his clients of his decision. He gave the letter to his secretary who sent it out on the official law firm letterhead via certified mail to seventeen clients. A few days later two of the letters came back as “undeliverable.” Supposing the clients had moved, the attorney thought nothing of it. But after a week, sixteen of the seventeen letters had returned. The mail company stated that the recipients had refused to sign for the letters, assuming the attorney was suing for their past-due debt.
God has sent out restoration letters to those who have sinned against Him. He desires that Christians would read His letter and accept His offer, yet many Christians fear God’s punishment for their sins. While sin does have consequences, notice today two benefits of seeking God’s restoration.
Forgiveness. God offers forgiveness for your sins. No longer must you live with guilt, secrecy, and fear. God wants to forgive you of the sins you’ve committed.— God forgave your sins the day you accepted Christ as your Saviour. Because Jesus has paid for your sins, you don’t have to live in sin. God wants you to reject that life, and accept His forgiveness.
Fellowship. Perhaps the greatest reason to repent of sin is to restore the relationship between you and your Heavenly Father. God’s justice cannot tolerate sin, and as you live in sin, you set a barrier between you and God.
You cannot have a healthy relationship with God if you’re holding onto sin. You may walk through the motions of a relationship, but it won’t be a heartfelt time of bonding between you and God if you are not right with Him. Just as earthly relationships are hurt when there is offense, so your heavenly relationship is as well.
God desperately desires that you would let go of the sin in your life and accept His gift of forgiveness and restored fellowship. What is keeping you from accepting that restoration? Is your sin so enjoyable that you would give up the privilege of a relationship with God Almighty? Don’t waste another minute playing with sinful endeavors, but seek God’s forgiveness and restored fellowship right now.(Dr. Paul Chappell)
