Have you misplaced or lost something lately only to find it randomly after having given up your search? Did you feel happy and relieved when you found it? God never quits searching for us when we stray from him. When we return, even the angels rejoice! Luke 15:1-10. Salvation is not a one time event but a lifetime journey. We are too quick to let brothers and sisters in the faith go when we think they have strayed, but our Lord never gives up and continues to seek them.
We can be deadly hard on ourselves when we slip. Sometimes the last person to forgive you is the one looking back in the mirror. Isn't it good to know you can be forgiven more than once because there would not be many of us left in the faith if salvation were a one-use only coupon. There is no expiration date on our Lord's gift to us and we can use it daily.
Somehow in my early faith walk, I got the impression that if you stumbled in your faith that was it. You had thrown away your salvation. Though God is perfect and without flaw, and could find more things to condemn us for than we can even know, he forgives us. So should we forgive ourselves and others. Jesus said to be perfect as our father in heaven is perfect. Since I can not imagine coming close to God's perfection, I have come to believe that Jesus was referring to forgiveness. We can forgive like God forgives. Matthew 5:48
The completed chapter five of Matthew is a picture of forgiveness that few have lived out in their lives. It takes faith that God forgives and he does so in advance of our repentance. Read Matthew five and be challenged in your faith to step up to a new level of forgiveness for yourself and for all those around you.
Be blessed today and know you are forgiven and go and share the joy of forgiveness with everyone you see.
