Have you ever done something that you regretted? I know I have – many times! Everyone of us has. And, to be honest, it seems that our memory never lets those sins of our past go. Those sins of our youth often haunt us again and again.
Someone approach me this week about an offense they made toward me around 12 years ago. After all those years it still is fresh upon their memory. I don’t even remember it but to them – it was very real.
I’m glad that God has the ability to forget and remember no more. The Bible tells us that He puts our sins in the Sea Of Forgetfulness and He also puts them behind our back and He remembers them no more.
Psalm 25 is a tender portion of scriptures to remind us of God’s ability to forgive and release us from the the guilt of sin.
I’m reminded of a New Testament Story in Luke 15. It is a story of a son who left his father’s house in anger and ended up living in much sin.
He went away and wasted all the inheritance money on wild living. He ended up broke, hungry and miserable in the mud and mess of a hog pen. When he came to his senses, he confessed to God that he had sinned and he headed home.
As he came home the Bible states that the father was looking for him and he saw him, he ran to meet him. The Father embraced his son and showered him with kisses and gave him a great party.
Who among us doesn’t relate to that story? Who doesn’t need to be reminded that our heavenly Father is able and willing to forgive us of our dumb decisions of our past.
Years ago, I heard an amazing story that may be true or it may be a parable, but it’s a great story. There was a wealthy man who had one son, whom he loved dearly. His wife died in childbirth and he never remarried. He was a lover of art and he taught his son to love fine art. Because he was wealthy, he and his son worked to amass a valuable private collection of priceless works of art.
When he was old enough, the son joined the Marines and was sent to Vietnam. He was killed in action and the father’s heart was broken. A few months after he buried his only son, a man knocked on his door. He had a large wrapped package in his hands. When the father opened the door he said, “Sir, I knew your son. We were in the same platoon, and he was my best buddy. I’m an amateur artist, so we had many discussions about art. It’s not very good, but I painted a portrait of your son from a photograph I took, and I’d like for you to have it.” The man was touched and tried to pay the artist, but he refused any payment. He said, “I painted him because he was my friend.” Although the picture wasn’t that good, the proud father displayed it in a prominent place.
Several years later, the wealthy man died, and his works of art were to be auctioned off. There was millions of dollars worth of art to be sold. Art dealers crowded the home wanting to bid on the Van Goghs and the Monets. The soldier-artist was there, as well, but he was too poor to bid.
The lawyer announced to the crowd that before any of the valuable pieces of art were auctioned off, the deceased had left instructions that the portrait of his son must be auctioned off first. The impatient art dealers complained and said “Get on with it. Get that picture out of the way so we can bid on the real art!”
The auctioneer held up the painting and said, “Who’ll you give me $100 for the picture of the son?” No one replied. Finally, the soldier friend who painted the portrait said, “I’ll give you $20 for it.” The auctioneer said, “$20 once, $20 twice, sold for $20.” The artist bought back his own painting because he still felt a great fondness for the man’s son.
At that moment, the rich man’s attorney stepped to front and announced to the crowd. “Ladies and gentlemen, there will no more bidding. My client left secret and specific instructions that whoever bought the painting of his son would receive all the other works of art at no additional charge. So, the gentleman who bought the picture of his son also receives the other pieces of art. To quote the words in his last will and testament, he wrote, ‘Whoever chooses my son, gets it all.’ This concludes the auction.”
If you choose the son today – you get it all. You get forgiveness of your past sins and you get the help of a God who has been waiting on the porch for you to come home.
His forgiveness covers all your sins – even the sins of your youth.
1 John 1:9 (NKJV) 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
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