Your mercies are new every morning; great
is Your faithfulness, O God. – David
When I hear this verse read I am immediately picturing a sunrise of
glorious proportions. The soft colors of pink, yellow, orange, and purple are
simply splashed across the sky heralding the beginning of another day. With
these colors comes a promise from our ABBA, our Daddy, Father that this day
comes with a clean slate, a new beginning.
Even at the ripe age of 41, I’m not sure I ‘get this’ in its
fullest measure.
Recently my husband, Steve, and I had the privilege of attending a
Love Won Out conference with a friend who struggles with same sex attraction.
God has been bringing men into our lives who are struggling with this
temptation, and we were more than ready to listen to and learn more about
homosexuality. I was not prepared for the depth of truth and mercy I heard about
that day.
You see, the truth is we all struggle with
something. The sin of gossip, lying, adultery, or whatever other sin you think
of is not worse than the sin of homosexuality. Stop right here and know I am not
referring to the person who is homosexual, but the act of homosexuality. This is
not something these individuals are born with or choose to become. The doctor
doesn’t know when a baby is born if it’s going to be a homosexual or a
heterosexual. We are born male and female.
I
used to think homosexuals were pedophiles, sex addicts, among other things, and
for sure damned to hell. I no longer believe this lie. Homosexuals are normal
people: doctors, lawyers, nurses, secretaries, teachers, administrators, who,
for whatever life situation, are more attracted to the same sex than the
opposite sex.
By now you’re wondering what on earth the mercies of God being new
every morning have to do with this topic, right?! The truth I learned at that
one day conference is this: every morning, we have a new slate. We have a new
slate for making right and wrong choices. Whatever our temptation, to have sex
with the same sex or have an adulterous affair, we have the power through Jesus
Christ to rise above all of that and live a holy life. When we are tempted to
gossip, cheat, lie, steal…or whatever your addiction or temptation happens to
be…EVERY DAY we are given a new slate, a new opportunity to start
fresh!
We have a merciful, loving ABBA Father who “is faithful and just to
forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)
This does not mean we will no longer be tempted to sin. We have the choice,
however, to walk away from the temptation and live a life not controlled by our
temptations and harmful addictions. We ALL have “stuff” we deal with every day.
We all have a choice to make.
Today is a new day! Today is a new sunrise of mercy and
faithfulness poured out on us, His beloved creation, to enjoy! Seize it! Live in
it!
-Rachel Shetterly
September 24,
2012
So, are you saying it's okay to commit the same sin everyday, then just ask for forgiveness? I don't see it this way. It is my understanding that when we tell GOD we are sorry and ask HIS forgiveness, we are to try to not do it again. That is, if we are truly sorry.
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