God’s grace is the beginning of your story, and it is God’s desire that his grace would be theme of your life. However, there is one thing that creeps into the middle of all of our stories and tries to shipwreck us so that we don’t live in God’s grace – and that is sin. Sin derails us from living in God’s grace. But what sin doesn’t know, is that where sin abounds, God’s grace abounds even more! Hallelujah!

The Psalmist tells us in Psalm 32:1 blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.

The only barrier between us and sin is God’s word. God does not stand in front of us blocking our path when we choose to sin. God is not like a policeman who stands in front of a barricade blocking a flooded road; waving a red flag and holding up a stop sign to warn us not to proceed or our car will float away. God allows us to choose to be obedient in faith to his word or to sin.

We are all sinners, and we all do things, both big and small that draw us away from God. For we all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23). Ultimately sin is an offence against God.

Sin can occur in our thoughts, our words or our deeds. Sin can occur anywhere. Sin can occur in front of the computer screen, on our phones, in a meeting at work, in our conversations or even in the way we do our work. It’s just as easy to sin when we are doing work that we enjoy, as when we dislike our work. There are as many ways to sin in great work environments as there are in toxic work environments. 

Sin sneaks in when we behave like our desires are the only things that matter. Sin creeps upon us when we set aside our obligations to other people, to God and to God’s laws. 

When we choose to sin, we give other people something that they can hold against our character. When we choose to sin, we give the enemies of the Lord a chance to blaspheme God’s holy name. 

When we sin, our sin has consequences that go far beyond our immediate context, just like a stone dropped into a pond creates an ever-widening ripple of circles whose end no one can see. When we choose to sin, our example sets loose a pattern of sin that others may choose to follow. Sin creates great rifts in the fabric of God’s universe, damage that only God can mend. 

When we have sinned, our only safety is to immediately confess our sins. When we confess our sins with heartfelt humility, God extricates us immediately, and with genuine intimacy, from the entangled web of sin. When we don’t confess our sins, it is like living in a shameful waking nightmare that is always there. 
Cast yourself now upon God’s mercy and seek his forgiveness! 

Don’t linger for another moment in the murky darkness of sin. Don’t despair, throw yourself completely on God’s mercy! Take your sin to the one place where there is absolute justice and absolute mercy. Confess your sins to God. Take your sin to the one place where there is no condemnation. Come to God, who delights in forgiving a repentant sinner. 

The eyes of God are never absent from our secret sins. When we admit that we have sinned, we immediately hear God say to us “I have taken away your sin”. God has more than enough mercy, compassion and grace to deal with our sin. 
When we confess our sins, God clothes us in Christ’s garments which are as white as snow showing forth the glory of his resurrection. God’s promises hold firm when we sin and when we seek forgiveness. True remorse for our sin doesn’t think about our reputation but focuses on God’s righteousness. 

Even though we all have sinned, you have something precious to offer to God. Your humbled heart and broken spirit are a pleasing aroma to the Lord. When you confess your sins, God creates in you a new heart that is pure and clean. God’s forgiveness cleanses your emotions and thoughts leaving you at peace. Then the sweetness of God’s grace shines brightly through your life again. 

Forgiveness is an invitation to live this moment, and each moment as God’s child! Forgiveness is an invitation to take each breath as a gift! The God who breathes life into our dust, will not rest until we are transformed! Hallelujah! 

When we have been forgiven, we can rejoice with a pure heart and a spirit of steadfastness. When we have been forgiven our lives are marked by a spirit of holiness. When we have been forgiven, we know the joy of deliverance. When we have been forgiven, we have the delight of knowing God’s mercy, and experiencing God’s compassionate, unfailing love. 

Forgiveness fills our hearts to overflowing with the joy of God’s salvation. A joy that is as bright, pure and beautiful as a lily. The joy of victory over death. The Joy of the Lord’s presence. The joy of being confident that we will see Jesus. The joy of knowing that we are sustained by the Spirit of God. A joy which enables us to worship God in any circumstance.

When we know the joy of forgiveness then we live our lives in the sea of God’s grace. When we know the joy of forgiveness then we rest in confidence that God’s grace will be the theme of our story.