Have you ever done something that you knew was wrong? I'm sure you have -- we all have. We've all made mistakes; we've all done things we regret. I don't have enough fingers (or toes!) to count all the times I've messed up. Consciously and mistakenly, I have done things that were wrong. Luckily, the Bible tells us that "where sin abounds, grace abounds much more" (Romans 5:20). How great is that?! To know that God knew you'd mess up, yet still offers grace liberally is a testament to how much He loves you. Incomprehensibly.
Disclaimer: the gift of grace that God offers us is never an excuse to sin. He covers us when we mess up, but we shouldn't be prompted to sin because we know He'll forgive!
Here's the problem: the enemy likes to use our mistakes to distance us from God. When we fall, he likes to whisper lies in our hearts that can do damage if we believe them. They might sound like:
"Looks like you've really done it this time. How could God ever forgive you for this?"
"Are you crazy? There's no way God could ever forgive you for [insert mistake here]."
Or they might be a bit more sinister:
"You're such a disgrace. Look at the mess you've made! How could He ever love you?
"You shouldn't even ask for forgiveness - what you've done is unforgivable. Give up."
Can I tell you the truth? Some of what the enemy says might actually be a *bit* accurate. You might've messed up -- really badly. (I have.) You might've done something that will reap negative consequences in the future. (Checkmate.) You might've done something that will have a major impact on your life or on another person's, too. (Bingo.)
However, there is no sin too dark, no mess too big, and no heart too hardened that God can't forgive.
THE FALL
The devil has been lying since the beginning of time. It's what he does. He perverts truth to keep us away from the Father. He did it to Adam & Eve, and he will continue to do it. But you have a choice: will you reject deception to accept truth? In order to do so, you must know the truth -- otherwise, you'll inevitably fall victim to the lie. Let's look to the Word to see how Satan deceives:
In Genesis chapter 3, the serpent speaks to Eve. He asks,
"Has God indeed said 'you shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?"
Pause.
If you read Genesis chapter 2 (which I highly encourage you to do), you'd see that God never said they couldn't eat from any tree. In fact, He said they could eat from every tree EXCEPT of the tree of knowledge of good and evil only because they'd die if they did (Genesis 2:16-17). See? The enemy perverted the truth to confuse Eve.
Luckily, Eve caught on and responds with,
"We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the Garden, God has said 'You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die."
(God never said that they couldn't touch the fruit. Eve added this part in. It's dangerous to mix in our own opinions with what God has explicitly told us because it leads to confusion.)
Okay, let's continue. Here comes the blatant lie. The serpent says to Eve,
"You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
The serpent now tempts Eve with something even juicer than the forbidden fruit hanging before her: divine wisdom. As soon as she and Adam eat the fruit, their eyes are immediately opened and they become aware of their condition. This awareness operates on two levels:
They are now aware of their physical nakedness, their vulnerability, which symbolizes...
their spiritual nakedness.
As soon as they sinned, Adam & Eve were no longer spiritually covered -- they were now vulnerable to death. Their mistake caused them to hide, and they resorted to covering themselves out of shame.
Pause.
Their sin seems to check all the boxes that we run through when we, too, mess up... doesn't it? They messed up really badly. (I have.) They did something that reaped negative consequences. (Checkmate.) Their sin had a major impact upon their lives and the lives of others. (Bingo.)
Yet in His goodness, mercy, and love, do you know what God did? He covered Adam & Eve (Genesis 3:21). This interaction also operates on two levels:
Adam and Eve were ashamed of their nakedness, so God physically covered them as an act of compassion.
the covering He made for them foreshadowed the covering of grace that Christ's death meant for humankind.
God wasn't mad at Adam & Eve. Yes, they messed up -- big time! But God was concerned with saving them, and He'd already established a plan to do so (Revelation 13:8).
THE TRUTH
Here's how religion operates:
"I messed up -- my Dad is going to kill me!"
A religious mindset is one that perverts the truth in order to get you caught up in your works and the catastrophe of your own mistakes. There is nothing you can do to earn God's grace, nor is there anything you can do to undermine it.
Here's how relationship operates:
"I messed up -- I need to talk to my Dad."
Remember: the enemy likes to use our mistakes to distance us from the Father. If he can get you to hide, just as Adam and Eve did, he knows there will be room for fear, animosity, and bitterness to fester in the space he's wedged between you and God.
Dear one, God isn't mad at you. He desires nothing more than for you to come to Him with all the mistakes you've made, all the bad decisions, and all the wrongdoings. God is passionate about saving you (Isaiah 45:22, 1 Timothy 2:4); there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ (Romans 8:1).
The devil rules by deception. If he can get you to believe the lie that God can never forgive you, you'll be imprisoned in guilt. But the Truth (and only the Truth) can set you free. Will you accept it?
Thanks for reading!
Reflect:
Has the enemy told you that God cannot forgive your mistakes?
Have you believed him?
What has Adam & Eve's mistake revealed to you about the heart of God?
~Crystal❤️
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