God Keeps No Record
Scripture Reading — Psalm 130
If you, LORD, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness.
—Psalm 130:3-4
Recently I heard of a young man in his thirties who tragically took his own life. Something happened that made his life seemingly unbearable, and the guilt he felt was crushing him.
More Christians than we know go through life carrying a load of guilt. Some feel there is no hope because of something they did.
A long-time friend commented to me that he was sure that when he died, the Lord would not accept him. He was weighed down with guilt because he felt he had wasted his life. Shortly before his death, a close relative told me that this friend was sure there was no hope for him because, as he put it, “so much had gone wrong” in his life.
According to Psalm 130, however, we don’t have to carry the weight of our sins. We don’t even have to get rid of our sins. God has done it for us.
“If you. LORD, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness.” God keeps no record. He has pushed the delete button on our sins, and because of the Lord Jesus, our Savior, God has wiped our record clean. The apostle John put it this way: “If we confess our sins, [God] is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins” (1 John 1:9). That’s the good news for all of us!
Thank you, Lord, for not keeping a record of my sins. Help me to confess and to receive your forgiveness through Jesus Christ, my Lord. In his name, Amen.
About the author — Arthur J. Schoonveld
Rev. Art Schoonveld is a retired minister in the Christian Reformed Church. Before retiring in 2001, he served churches in California, Illinois, and Michigan. Since his retirement he has worked part-time for the denomination and has served as an interim pastor. Art and his wife, Anita, have four children and nine grandchildren.
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