There Is No Mark

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 (New King James Version)

It has taken me years to see it but I finally see it and admit it. I am a perfectionist. Not the kind that keeps my socks in order or alphabetizes my canned goods. I am a perfectionist when it comes to living up to the standards and expectations I have of myself and what I believe God has for me. The rub comes when I fail. There is a part of me that struggles to let go of past sins, failures, and mistakes. Recently I was told by a friend that although I have confessed an area to God and He has forgiven me, I have not forgiven myself and therefore continue to live under condemnation, shame, and regret. Forgiving myself simply means to accept God’s forgiveness and live out of that gracious act. She was right and God has been helping me to see how to do that.

My problem was in understanding exactly what happens when God forgives me. When I admit my sin and agree with Him about that sin, He lets go of the offense. He no longer regards it, discusses it, keeps it, or holds on to it. He abandons it! Those in themselves are powerful statements for me to digest. But God wants me to know the full picture. His forgiveness also entails a cleansing!

For too long I have felt that although I was forgiven there remained a black mark or stain on my record and life. That “mark” is what hung as a banner of condemnation and guilt over me. Always present. Always taunting. What I failed to see is there is no mark, stain, or spot. God removed it completely when He forgave me, just as a person would cleanse a physical stain on clothing or carpet. Just as Jesus cleansed the lepers. God’s cleansing frees me from the defilement of sin and clears my record of faults. In His eyes, I am untarnished and untainted by my past actions.

What does this say to me? My sins are not a life sentence. Each and every time I confess things to God I am given a complete and thorough pardon. A fresh start and a clean slate! For a perfectionist like myself, this is a huge freedom truth to embrace. It clears the way for me to live by God’s love, grace, and mercy rather than by a sense of guilt and shame. I have blown it many times but God declares me clean and I want to allow that to be my life defining declaration from now on!


Father, I no longer see the stains. In that I rejoice and dance! Amen.

What Sin? By Morgan Cryar
http://youtube.com/watch?v=qaMIeOKQVDs&feature=related

I welcome your questions and comments to any devotional thoughts. I am honored and delighted to share my journey with you and privileged to hear of yours.