Salvage the Saved

Hey! Hey! Hey!

Happy New Year to you! Some may argue that the year is well “grown” by now but its still January so hey… 😛

Did you miss me? 🙂

It feels good to be back! I took time off to rest and bond with family in Mombasa, Kenya. I had such a wonderful time unwinding and reliving my childhood memories with friends and family. I totally needed that downtime. I was going to the spa, binge watching NatGeoWild and Sponge Bob Square Pants among other things [mostly lounging] … 🙂

So we are almost done with January and what has been deposited in my heart to write about today is an introspection into December. Now, we all know the festivities are at an all time high during the last month of the year. All caution is thrown to the wind. A celebration is happening in literally every corner of the town and all the days of the week seem to be homogeneous. There’s no telling whether its a weekend or a weekday.

Where am I heading with this ey? Well, sweetie, God knows what you did ‘last summer’ [clears throat]. This is not a condemnation on my part but rather a call to repentance; okay?

So here goes…

You were at the office party and you had one too many, you got a little tipsy and your eyes spotted your office crush looking at you like a well garnished meal.

He walks over to you. A few flirtatious moments later, the two of you are bumping and grinding on the dance floor and as the turn tables were turned off; the bumping and grinding was taken to a different venue… his bedroom!

Next thing you remember is opening your eyes and hearing the sound of heavy snoring. You look at yourself with disdain when you notice that you are stark naked and so is the man beside you! “What? What happened? This cannot be!”

You frantically collect your clothes that had been strewn all over the floor, dress up hurriedly and leave his house in a frenzy.

You arrive home and head straight to the shower. The tears pelting down your face could as well have washed your whole body. You felt pathetic.

“What have I done? God is mad at me….” Those are the words you manage to mutter to yourself as you look at yourself in the mirror.

You are deeply perturbed and wonder how you ended up doing such a thing. I mean; you love God, you serve in church, you are born again but… you slipped and you feel like you messed up “big time”. The feeling of guilt overcomes you like a blanket of thick, dark nimbus clouds covering the sun.

You haven’t gone to church since the turn of the new year (2020) because you feel like you’re “not worthy” of God’s presence anymore. You keep wondering what people might think of you when they find out; if at all they do. This is your dark, little secret. Perhaps that’s how David felt after he slept with Bathsheba and killed her husband? Urgh!

“…Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.””

2 Samuel 12:13 NIV

Let me interject and tell you this… You need to stop thinking like that!

That is voice the enemy condemning you. We are thirty days into the year 2020 and if you keep beating yourself down, you are going to sink further into the devil’s snare!

Yes, I know that what you did was wrong but you know what? Jesus died on the cross for that very sin that you think is unpardonable. He paid the ultimate penalty.

“But Amanda, I am born again; I am a Christian…” Yes, you sinned after coming to the knowledge of Christ but do you think God is surprised by what you did?

As a Father, yes, God is disappointed in you but definitely not surprised by what you did. He knew you would slip and fall and that is why the Blood of Jesus constantly cleanses us from all unrighteousness.

“….the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”

1 John 1:7 NKJV

“For though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again….”

Proverbs 24:16 NIV

Proverbs 24:16 is crystal clear that the righteous do fall but the silver lining to the dark cloud is that they rise again.

Dear reader, whatever you did last month, last week, or even the past hour does not matter; God simply requires you to rise again. Here’s how:

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

1 John 1:9 NIV

Is it that simple? Yes. God has forgiven you. Now, a truly repentant person does not go back to sinning because there is “grace”… NO.

Let me refer to the story of Mary Magdalene, which can be found in the Book of John chapter 8. Mary was a prostitute and she had been caught in the act. As per the law, she was to be stoned and the mob brought her to Jesus; each person carrying a small rock firmly gripped in their palms; ready to administer “justice” to Mary. Spoiler alert, Jesus did not condemn her because of her sin. Instead, He gave her a new prerogative, to go and sin no more.

“…And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”

John 8:11 NKJV

Now, I am not only referring to sexual sin but to every thought, deed and/or speech that is contrary to the Word of God. Sin is sin.

“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us..”

1 John 1:8 NKJV

We are in the dispensation of the Holy Spirit so whenever we fail to honour God in one way or the other, the Spirit of God convicts us. Conviction is different from condemnation.

“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”

Romans 8:1 NKJV

When one is convicted, s/he is cognizant of the wrong done and is moved to change for the better. Condemnation on the other hand, makes one feel castigated and helpless; as if they were doomed to a life of sin. The devil condemns. The Holy Spirit convicts.

I am here to tell you that God loves you so much and whatever you think you’ve done to make Him “upset with you” is only but a fallacy.

God is calling you back to the fold. Please, don’t skip church again; don’t stop praying; don’t stop reading the Bible and most assuredly I say to you, do not go back to sin! That is a trap of the enemy. Instead, come running to the Mercy Seat.

“The Lord is merciful and compassionate,
slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.”

Psalms 145:8 NLT

I really like how The Passion Translation has expounded the above verse:

“You’re kind and tenderhearted to those who don’t deserve it
and very patient with people who fail you.
Your love is like a flooding river overflowing its banks with kindness.”

Psalms 145:8 TPT

If you feel like you’ve “grown apart” from God because of sin, I would like you to repeat the prayer below:

Dear Lord,

I come to you in Jesus’ Name, asking you to forgive me of [xxxx]. Father, I err’d in my ways and I ask that you keep me in the paths of righteousness. I desire to be a new person and I seek the help of the Holy Spirit to guide me in living according to Your Ways. I will be intentional in living for You, so help me God.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

After confessing your sin and asking for forgiveness from God, the next thing I would like you to do is to forgive YOURSELF! Yes, you need to forgive yourself.

Sometimes, we can be the worst critics of ourselves and the devil can use that as a channel to condemn you. Once you confess to God, He does not hold anything against you. You begin on a clean slate; clean I tell you. See below:

“I, yes I, am the One and Only,
who completely erases your sins, never to be seen again.
I will not remember them again.
Freely I do this because of who I am!”

Isaiah 43:25 TPT

So, if God will never remember your sins again; then it is prudent that you do the same. If any thoughts of your misdeeds come to mind, fight back with the Word of God.

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

Romans 12:2 NLT

Declare that you are forgiven and whoever the Son sets free is free indeed!

“So if the Son sets you free from sin, then become a true son and be unquestionably free!”

Romans 8:36 TPT

If you feel like your burden is too heavy and would like to talk to someone, you can send me a private message on Twitter or Instagram. I am willing to pray for and with you.