I have a blank page before me. This page right here. Of course, by the time you are looking at it, it is no longer blank. It is a finished and published post. I won't let you see it until it is complete, edited, proof-read again, and finally pronounced good enough to publish...in MY mind.
There are times when I have hit the "publish" button too quickly, and then and only then do I spot the very obvious mistakes...the typos, the misspellings, the grammar errors. However, at that time it is technically too late...I already hit the "publish" button, and the whole world is watching. Now, fortunately, there is also an "edit" button, and if I am quick enough I can hit the "edit" button and go back and fix the mistakes. Then I am much more careful before I am tempted to hit that "publish" button again. I do not like to expose my errors to the world. I prefer to keep them to myself...and erase them before they can do me too much harm and embarrassment.
My life is much like this blank page. Or, at least is was when I was born. I started out with a clean page. No big mistakes to fix, no errors to hide, no major issues to correct. And the whole world was watching. Sadly, my page did not stay clean for long. Being human as I am, and not a page in a computer or a notebook, it did not take long to make huge mistakes that could not easily be erased or edited out of my life. Once the unfortunate act was committed, whether by choice or by accident, it was much like hitting that "publish" button too quickly. It was already "out there" for all the world to see.
Even if no other human saw my folly, God saw. Even when I tried to hide my mistakes, He already knew. There was no getting around Him. No "edit" button could undo my errors. There was only one way to fix the problem.
Ask for forgiveness. Tell Him the truth. Tell Him I was sorry. And what did He do? Did He hide my errors under a rug? Did He tear up the page of my life and start over? Well not exactly, but then again, yes exactly.
I John 1:8-9 says, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
I John 1:7 tell us that "If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin."
When we confess our sins, (errors, mistakes, faults...same thing), God forgives us...and cleanses us from all sin! He gives us a new page...a blank page on which we can start over!
II Corinthians 5:17 says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation (blank page?); old things have passed away (been edited, deleted, removed!?); behold, all things have become NEW!"
That is great news! Yes, I can have a new, blank page before me! Christ has covered my sins with His blood, and has cleansed me from ALL my sins. Not just the itty bitty mistakes, not just some of them, but ALL of them. I am a new creation. Brand spanking new!
And the BEST news is, He can do that for YOU too! All you have to do is ask!
Now, let me spell check and grammar check this before I hit that "publish" button! I want to make sure I am telling this great news to you correctly, without error, spot or blemish! This news is too wonderful to hide!
Okay, let's start writing on that new page...
