-Eighty Four- Mercy And Sin

Mercy and Sin

Today’s Reading and Focal Verses: 

Psalm 118:18

The LORD has chastened me severely,

But He has not given me over to death.

Psalm 99:8

You answered them, O LORD our God;

You were to them God-Who-Forgives,

Though You took vengeance on their deeds.

God in His grace forgives sin.  That is an awesome truth, but sin and its consequences still bring pain.  God can take the edge off of that pain and, at times, spares us from some of it.  We are familiar with that type of mercy.
God has another type of mercy, and sadly, we may not be as familiar with it.  That is His grace to keep us from falling into sin.
With Christ in us, we not longer have to fight temptation on our own.  In fact, in our own strength, we are pretty ineffective.  God is waiting for us to call to Him when we are weak. Psalm 94:18 says:  “If I say, ‘My foot slips’, Your mercy, O Lord, will hold me up.”
 Mercy to keep you from sinning, and mercy if you have already sinned. “Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!  For His mercy endures forever.” (Psalm 118:1)

If you have been trying to fight temptation on your own, you are missing a treasure God gave you when you were saved.  Cry out to Him.  His strength will make you able to withstand the temptation.