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When we pray, “I have sinned,” God not
only answers, “Repent,” but He also includes in His answer, “Be reconciled to
Me.”
Reconciliation is necessary only because
a relationship has been broken. And all
human sin breaks the relationship between God and the one who has sinned.
While this reconciliation to God
actually comes simultaneously with true repentance and forgiveness, there are
two sides to the transaction. So this is why God’s forgiveness as we repent
must include our reconciliation to Him.
OK, I know what
reconciliation means, but I want to have a dictionary definition to make this
clear to me.
RECONCILE MEANS RESTORE
FRIENDSHIP
So when I sin, I need to
repent and be restored to God.
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Why does God insist on
reconciliation? Because He, too, is
angry at our sinning.
God does get mad when I sin? I try to ask God’s forgiveness when I sin,
but do I really think about him being mad at my sin. What does he think about those same sins that
I do over and over? The Bible says that
God forgives my sins, but how must he feel when I keep doing the same silly
sins over and over again? I should remember that God can help me with
those sins that I keep doing over and over.
I just need to ask him, repent and then be reconciled to Him.
I THINK THE BOTTOM LINE IS
THAT I NEED TO GET SERIOUS ABOUT MY SINS.
I can live my life thinking of God as a loving God and that he always
forgives my sins, which he does, but it is easy to forget how much he hates my
sins.
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God loved us enough to send the means of
reconciliation—His own son Jesus.
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The only reason God convicts us of sin
and demands repentance is so that we can be reconciled to Him. It is so that we can step into that room
marked His Holy presence.
“Who may ascend into the hill of the
LORD? And who may stand
in His holy place. He who has clean
hands and a pure heart.” (Psalm 24:3-4a
Closing Prayer
Oh, God, I confess that I have violated
Your holiness and, thus, our relationship is broken. Please, God, cleanse me from all known and
unknown sin. And thank You, Father, for
being holy enough to be angry at my sin—but loving enough to forgive me and to
reconcile me to yourself. In Jesus’ Name
Amen.