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Location: Camden, Maine, United States

Thursday, February 16, 2006

Surrender means, Victory!

We considered a strange thought about mercy last time. Mercy can make us feel terrible. That is the mercy of conviction. When God convicts our condition changes. Psalm 38 tells us about the arrows of the Almighty that stick fast in us and bend us down like a wounded animal. David goes on to say that when God brings convicting mercy, the results are neither rest nor stability in our flesh or bones, iniquities become too heavy to carry, our wounds stink, we become feeble, broken, and our hearts are disquieted, we pant and our strength fails and the light of our eyes are darkened. That sounds more like miserable than merciful. We are brought to our knees by conviction of our sin as a result of God being merciful unto us.

What do I do now? When the convicting comes I have one of two decisions to make; continue in my misery, or repent of my sin.

It is obvious what our state would be if we continue in our misery, but what will happen if we confess and repent of our sin? The Lord will once again show mercy to us.

Hear some verses of great promise to those who will turn from their sin by confessing it and repenting of it.

A very familiar and cherished verse of every believe is 1 John 1:9 - If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We do not need to do penance, He forgives based upon His faithfulness and righteousness.

A word from Solomon is found in Proverbs 28:13 - He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh [them] shall have mercy. The challenge is not the confessing, but the forsaking. If we are willing to agree with God that our sins are what He calls them, sins; then may God grant us repentance as well.

Here is a couple of verses from David in in the Psalm 32:3-5 When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah. I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah. There is no victory for us when we hide our sins. Victory comes when we confess and repent.

How about one more, this is David's own experience, you know it. It confirms that there is no victory with concealment of our sins. Psalm 51:4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done [this] evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, [and] be clear when thou judgest. How can I expect to hide my sin from God when the evil I do is not hidden from His eyes?

There is forgiveness and cleansing when we confess our sins, but there shall be no victory until we repent of our sins. God is too merciful to allow His child to live victoriously in sin.

When the convicting arrows of our Almighty God come striking a blow against our wickedness, be quick to surrender to His mercy. With surrender is victory!

Have a wonderful day serving our Wonderful Lord, by Grace Alone!

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