I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the nearly six decades of my life I lived in sin and iniquity after obeying the gospel and being baptized and forgiven of my sins at an earlier age. For whatever reason, the Lord has seen fit to spare my life and has given me a second chance at correcting the sins and errors of my way. I fervently hope and pray that others who have gone astray will have the chance given to them as I have to “come back to the Lord” by His love for me I feel I am guilty of causing Him to grieve in my iniquities for many, many years. Thankfully, God and His Son Jesus have gotten through to me once again and as I think back about my sinful ways I am grieving in and about my iniquities. I talked about my feelings with brother Joe recently while having a Bible study in my home. He directed me to some useful and soul searching and comforting scriptures, and I want to share some of my thoughts with anyone who cares to read them. I hope those who have become unfaithful to the Lord will come to recognize the error, sadness and grief causing ways of their lives. And I don’t mean just the obvious, the loss of their souls to eternal damnation, spending all of eternity in hell, although this should be reason enough.

In the book of I Timothy, Chapter 1, verses 13-17 the apostle Paul speaks of his life before being baptized into Christ, “although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love, which are in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all long suffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe in Him for everlasting life.

Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever, Amen.”

In my grieving over the iniquities I committed while being absent from the Lord’s church, while I didn’t persecute and kill Christians like Saul of Tarsus, I nevertheless had no reason to think my sinful life was what God wanted (like Saul thought what he was doing was what God wanted)  I knew better, I had been taught, I had God’s word through Jesus, the Holy Spirit and the Apostles, I had been saved through Christ’s crucifixion and in baptism. in other words, I had no excuse, no reason, I knew better. Because of that, now I grieve in my iniquities even though I have repented and been forgiven by God, I am sorrowful for the life I had lived. But now, in Christ, I can press toward the goal of eternal life in Christ (Phil. 3:12-14.)

Brother Joe, also guided me to the words of David in Psalms 32 as he wrote about the sins and iniquities he had committed and the comfort, and joy of forgiveness. “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgive, whose sin is covered. The entire eleven verses of this chapter are of great comfort to anyone who is grieving the iniquities they have committed. I found particular comfort in the last two verses of the psalm: “Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he who trusts the Lord, mercy shall surround him. “Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous; and shout for joy, all you upright in heart.”

For anyone who has believed the gospel and been baptized for the remission of your sins, you will never regret or grieve continuing in the righteous ways of the Lord. However, if you have left the Lord and his church to take a road that only leads to condemnation I pray you will come to your senses, look back on your life and loved ones and return to the Lord. If this is what you have done, you will grieve that you didn’t show them the way of righteousness, but instead were a hindrance to their chance at living an eternal life in Heaven.

2 Peter 3:9 English Standard Version (ESV) The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

If you have left the church and are not living the life as a Christian that the scriptures teach us we should, then your friends and family will never hear the Gospel from you and will remain lost in their sins. For this, I am grieving in my iniquities. Do not let it be so in your life.

Created by Chuck Sibbing, last updated.  04/09/2018