I’m too far gone. I’ve done too many things against God’s will to turn back to him now. I have disappointed him too much to be forgiven. I might as well give up now.
Those are just some of the darts of doubt the enemy, Satan, once threw at my mind. Living with the aftereffects of addiction in my family left me feeling lost and broken. I had an image of God being like my earthly father. My immature thinking pictured God as a man with a long, white beard looking upon me from some unknown place and shaking his head in disappointment at my choices. I thought if I made the wrong decision, he no longer loved me.
I didn’t always follow the ways of the Lord. Although I was saved in my late twenties; rejection, shame, guilt, and depression left behind wounds I thought would never heal. It wasn’t until God revealed himself to me during my dad’s dying days that I finally realized God is a loving father. He is not condemning, but patient. He is not harsh, but merciful.
In Paul’s letter to the Christians in Asia Minor, primarily Ephesus, he explains of God’s kindness and love for us as His chosen people.
"In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us."
Ephesians 1: 7-8a
Let’s read this Scripture and let it envelop our hearts.
“In Him we have redemption through His blood…” – Paul is speaking of Christ’s blood. It is through His sacrifice on the cross that we have been blessed with redemption. From the beginning, God chose us to be blameless. The only way to achieve this is through the ultimate sacrifice. We have been redeemed through Christ and His sacrifice.
“…the forgiveness of our trespasses…” – We are blessed by God with forgiveness of our sins which hold us in bondage. This forgiveness is through God’s grace. Jesus paid the price for our sins.
“…according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us.” – According to Merriam-Webster the definition of lavish is “produced in abundance”. God produces an abundance of grace for us to receive as a result of Christ’s sacrifice. There is no limit to the grace he provides to us.
This important truth helped me to discover that it is never too late for me and I am forgiven. I am humbled knowing the massive love God has for me. I am grateful for His blessing of redemption of my sins through the loving sacrifice of Jesus Christ.