New Every Morning...

They are new every morning: great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:23

It comforts me to know that each morning, God's mercies are new and fresh. So it really perplexes me why many Christians are still self-flagellating over sins and mistakes they made years ago.

Here's the thing. Christ's blood and sacrifice was made once and for all time.  All time includes the time we are living now and any future sins we may commit. Due to our fallen nature, no matter how good we try to be, each day we all sin in our words, our minds or actions. We try but Satan trips us up on one point or another even if we ourselves don't realize it.  In fact the Bible says that those who claim to be without sin deceive themselves.

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 1 John 1:8

Notice it also says the truth is not in us.  So right there we're liars too! That is not Yah's plan for our lives to be lived under condemnation. Remember Yahushua came to remove us from the effect of the Law which would be simply termed, "The wages of sin is death..." Romans 6:23.  We were under that judgment but Christ's love and sacrifice has changed that for repentant believers:

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Romans 8:1

Walking after, means following a path. Our flesh wants to wear the sackcloth and ashes while beating ourselves for our sins. This is man's way of making himself righteous before God. If we are going to do all of that, what value is Christ's sacrifice for our sins? Are we really trusting in Jesus' finished work on the cross in that through HIM we are now the righteousness of God?

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21

So today may have been rough. You lost your temper. Maybe you were where you should not have been doing something you should not do. Don't be discouraged because that is just what ha-Satan wants you to be. He is the accuser of the brethren for that same reason. Ask for forgiveness and for Christ to strengthen you for the next time. Also remember, tomorrow is a new day and God's mercies are new as well. 

Compassion

"[It is of] Yahweh's loving kindnesses that we are not consumed, because his compassion doesn't fail." Lamentations 3:22

How awesome to know that even when our faith and power to do good fails, our Heavenly Father's does not! This is because of who HE IS:

"If we are faithless, he remains faithful. He can't deny himself." 2 Timothy 2:13

What God looks for however is a contrite and honest spirit. One that acknowledges our inability to be sinless on our own. Self-righteousness is one of the main things Yahshua cited the Pharisees on during his ministry. Why? Well, when we are so full of ourselves, there is no room for God to fill us with His spirit. Not only that, we can become cruel and lacking in compassion of others who like everyone except Yahshua have sinned and missed the mark of full obedience to God:

²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Romans 3:23

So if we recognize our own short-comings, it will be easier to reach out to others with the Good News of God's Kingdom. People need to know that right now they can have peace with the Creator of the Universe through His Son. We can and should show the same compassion towards them as Yah has shown us!

"for through the Messiah, God was reconciling the world to himself by not counting their sins against them. He has committed his message of reconciliation to us." 2 Corinthians 5:19