He Forgives, I Forsake

“No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God.”

1 John 3:9

Without question God forgives all my sin. I have no doubts about His capacity and willingness to ‘pass over’ my sin and rebellion. The Father never ever will condemn me for my failure to follow Him completely. And yet I sin, each and every day.

But sin forgiven should be sin forsaken. We can walk clean and free, but only if we bid our sin, adieu. You can’t continuously sin anymore. I’ve been reading 1 John recently, and there is a clear statement against sinning repetitively, over and over again. To do so denies the specific reality of Jesus’ resurrection power within the true believer.

He always forgives, but I must forsake. To do this you must renounce and forsake your ‘favorite’ sin. It then means walking as someone ‘brand new.’ A completely new life.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

2 Corinthians 5:17

“The new has come.” The old things are no longer part of the equation. We are to shed the old which is now detestable in the eyes of God. We have been completely forgiven, of past-present-future sins. We are as pure as white driven snow. The foul has become clean. We are like the leper in the New Testament, we have become whole again.

He forgives, but I need to forsake. I no longer identify myself with the old– I’m a new creature. The word can be translated as “species.” I’m a brand new work of God, with a completely different DNA. I’m now categorized as someone new and distinct, new to this present age. (No wonder I don’t fit in anymore).

The act of choosing can’t be understated. In the ‘heat of the moment’ an easy obedience becomes easy to renounce. The temptation to sin becomes seemingly irresistible. This is true of habitual sins. We surrender to the inevitable, and deny the truth of our identity.

But God forgives us. You need to brush yourself off, declare your commitment, and get back in the saddle and finish your race. All heaven is on ‘tip-toe’ to see what you will do.

Author: Pastor Bryan Lowe

A repentant rascal with definite issues, but who is seeking to be authentic in his faith to Jesus Christ. An avid reader and a hopeful writer. Husband and father. A pastor and Bible teacher. A brain tumor survivor. Diagnosed with clinical depression, and now disabled. Enjoys life, such as it is, in Alask.a (Actually I have it pretty good.) View all posts by Pastor Bryan Lowe