CAGED

Hebrews 10:10-23
10 We have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all . . . 14 because by one sacrifice He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy . . . 17 Then he adds: "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more." 18 And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin. 19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, His body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.

Trapped in a cage that was slightly larger than its own body, the lion could move only two steps forward and two steps back. For nearly all of its life, it spent every moment of every day in its cage, doing the same thing over and over again.

One day, after many years, the lion was finally released into a beautiful savanna, spanning countless acres in every direction. But all it did was pace two steps forward and two steps back, again and again. Though the cage was now gone, the lion imagined that it was still there, standing between him and absolute freedom.

Sometimes it can be hard for us to let go of certain sins even after we've confessed them to God. Some of us hold on to them so tightly that we imprison ourselves in unnecessary cages of guilt and shame, rather than allow ourselves to experience the freedom of God's grace.

According to 1 John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." When Jesus Christ came to earth, He offered Himself as a perfect sacrifice, spotless and unblemished, to die for all of mankind's sins--not just for some of them. It was something eternal and universal for every generation.

Whenever we sin and then honestly confess our sins to God, He hurls those sins to the depths of the ocean (Micah 7:19) and remembers them no more (Hebrews 10:17). In Psalm 103:12, the Bible promises that "as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us."

No sin is ever too great for God's forgiveness, because no sin is ever too much for Jesus' sacrifice. It is God's promise to us, and His promises never fail because His faithfulness never fails. If God is able to let go of our sins when we confess them, why don't we? --David Yuen

Written by a fellow Soul Journey reader

DESTINATION POINTS

* What kind of sins do I tend to hold on to even after I bring them to God? Why do I hold on to them?
* How does that affect my fellowship with God?

LINKS:
Repentance from Sin
http://www.christianitytoday.com/spiritualhelp/features/repentance.html
The Forgiveness of God
http://www.discoveryseries.org/q0602

bottom line: Learn to repent and let go.

soul journey