Freedom through Forgiveness (I John 1:7)
I John 1:7, But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. André Cassagnes, the French-born inventor was in his early thirties when he created a plastic device with a glass screen on which children could draw by turning little knobs. Since the inside surface of the screen was coated with aluminum powder, moving the knobs resulted in drawing images on the screen as an unseen movable stylus scraped away the powder. By turning the device upside down and shaking it, the little black images would magically disappear. Cassagnes called his little invention "L'Ecran Magique," or "the magic screen." The Ohio Art Company renamed Cassagnes's toy Etch A Sketch and began distributing it in the United States beginning in 1960. Since that time more than 100 million of the little laptop drawing machines have been sold allowing it to be named one of the top 100 toys of the 20th century. It's unlikely that André Cassagnes had any idea the toy he created in his basement over a half century ago would become so popular. It's also unlikely that he imagined his hand-held creation would provide Christians with such a powerful illustration of grace. Like an Etch A Sketch, sin makes it mark on the screen of our lives. The evidence of our disobedience is indisputable. It's not a pretty picture, but when we trust in the death and resurrection of Jesus, the blotches of sin on the screen of our lives are erased and we are made like new. The principle of cleansing and a new beginning is seen in David’s life in Psalm 51. David devastated not only his life, but the lives of Bathsheba and Uriah by his wickedness. Uriah was dead and Bathsheba was pregnant from her adulterous affair with King David. David sought God’s forgiveness for what he had done. He wanted a new beginning in his life and realized that cleansing was an important factor in starting over again. Part of the great gift of salvation is not only that our sins have been forgiven, but that God never holds them against us again. Once we have confessed and forsaken our sins, God welcomes us back into full fellowship with Him, and He restores the joy that we forfeit when we sin. Satan always tries to obscure what we lose when he tempts us to sin. But God is faithful to forgive, and while there may be lasting consequences for what we have done, He never holds our sin against us again when we seek forgiveness. PRAYER: Lord, You are so faithful in accepting our heartfelt repentance and giving us a clean heart and a right spirit within us when we acknowledge guilt and the sin that produced it. Thank You that when we come to You brokenhearted for mercy, You are ready to forgive and restore. In particular, thank You for the times You have restored to me the joy of my salvation. I know I can’t be free any other way. In Jesus’ freedom-giving name I pray, Amen. If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com
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AuthorDr. Blackman is passionate about helping others grow in the grace of the Lord. His devotions are centered on how to grow closer to the Lord through a personal relationship with Christ. Archives
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