October 23, 2023
A few sins poured out upon the conscience – like a pail of water spilt on the ground – seems a great flood; but the greatest poured into the sea of God’s mercy are swallowed up and not seen.
William Gurnall, The Christian in Complete Armour
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Sometimes, we look at our sins and think they’re too great to be forgiven. Or we repeatedly fall into the same sin and start to believe there’s no way God can forgive us for it again. These thoughts can lead us to despair, which is what Satan chiefly aims at. Despair brings us closer to those poor souls in hell, living separated from God eternally in this state.
So, how do we avoid falling into this pit?
Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. (Eph. 6:16 KJV)
Despair is one of the fiery darts that the shield of faith will quench. Through faith, we can see that our sins may be great, but God’s mercy is infinite. They are only a drop in the ocean of his grace.
Faith will also lead us to God’s word, where we can find a written account of the sins of the church’s greatest saints and God’s pardoning mercy on them. God forgave people like David, Mary Magdalene, and Saul and used them to do great things for the Kingdom. He has recorded these sins for all time, not to shame the sinners but to reassure the rest of us of his great mercy.
So don’t despair. When these darts fly at you, pick up your shield of faith with the confidence that it will quench all of them. Know that Christ’s death was sufficient payment for every sin of every believer that ever has or will exist (1 John 2:2). Your sins are not greater than that.