Is the enemy right when he or his minions remind me of my mistakes, my trespasses, my pledges or my covets?  Of course, he is right, I hurt people in my sin.  That is not the entire story but it is part of the story.  My soul cries out to God in repentance for my sin.  Yes I am forgiven by Christ’s work upon the cross and my faith in what he did as the perfect sacrifice, but there may still be some work left in going to those I’ve hurt in reparation.  You see, I sinned against God and He has forgiven me, but where I’ve sinned against others, they may not have yet come to that point.  Do I forget them or approach when forgiveness may be offered?

I am an awful man, still.  Even after the Lord has begun my sanctification, I remain a wicked man, full of evil thoughts.  Maybe they don’t become action, because the Lord has transformed me into someone other than I was, but I still have the thoughts and am forced to capture them before they become concrete action in reality.  My behavior is without excuse for I know what God wants me to do and yet I continue to do otherwise.  Yes, I agree with Paul that it is the sinful flesh that wants to sin even though I know what is right and attempt to avoid that action.  Have we yet to gather that this thing God wants of us is impossible for us.  We cannot be good in and of ourselves.  We need God’s Holy Spirit to make the changes of which we are incapable.  In fact, I know without a doubt that I will never reach the point He is trying to get me to will not happen in this lifetime, but at the end of it, for this is the proving ground.

I am not a Christian by action but by faith.  My faith in the Lord’s righteousness, understanding my lack therein.  I know what I am doing wrong and thus am directly and explicitly disobedient to God’s direction and intention for my life.  You can monkey with the Greek or the Hebrew and somehow transform the impact or implication of disobedience, but it is after all still an inexcusable willingness to place my will and desired behavior above God’s direction and expectation.  Yes, I am forgiven, but without excuse, for I have studied the Word and know God’s direction for my life.  I can seek a method, path, direction or escape from God’s guidance, but it always leads to the same place, excruciating separation from God.  That is how I know hell is not for me, because even if it were a comfortable place of peace and quiet, it would be unbearable without God.  With Him in this life and the next, without excuse, forgiven, washed clean and ready for the next test.  Glorious days ahead.  In Jesus’ Name.