My Sins Have Overtaken Me

For troubles without number surround me; my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see. They are more than the hairs of my head, and my heart fails within me. (Psalm 40:12 NIV)

It is absolutely necessary that we understand the concept of sin. You cannot know how to be saved until you understand that you are in need of it - you are lost in sin. Repentance - turning away from our sin and toward God, is a necessary prerequisite for salvation.

And so we talk about sin... we preach about sin... we encourage one another to turn from sin and lead holy lives. Luke 24:46 says that "repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." It is vital that we understand sin, and that we turn from sin to the Lord Jesus Christ.

But for the Christian it is just as vital to accept the forgiveness that comes with that action. When you turn to Christ in repentance, and trust Him for the salvation that He alone can give, you are forgiven... immediately... forever. The writer of Psalms put it like this, "as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us." (Psalm 103:12 NIV) Can you measure the distance between the east and the west? It's infinite - and that's just how far God removes your sin from you when you put your trust in Christ.

Go back and re-read the verse at the top of this note. Too many of us are like that Psalmist. We let our sin overwhelm us. We feel guilty and defeated. As we allow the devil to make us feel guilty over and over about sin that's already been forgiven, we "cannot see" and our "heart fails within us." Our eyes, which should be on Christ, become focused on ourselves and our perceived guilt. Our heart, which should be singing for joy over what Jesus has done for us, becomes stifled with guilt. We come to feel that "my sins have overtaken me."

Christian - you are forgiven. Believe it, and rejoice in it.