“I Will Forgive Their Sin”

2 Chronicles 7:14

Do you remember the “I have good news and I have bad news” jokes from several years ago? We have good news here. God will forgive our sins, once we have done the preliminary steps. He wants to clear our records with Him.
In our lives we have a ritual we use when we make plans. We sometimes have to consider things , ponder the issues, and say we might be able to do something. We should be thankful God doesn't go through this procedure.

God doesn’t say, “I might. . ..” He doesn’t say, “Maybe. . .”, nor I’ll think about forgiving their sins.” The passage says, “I will forgive.” There is certainty here on which we can rely.

“I Will Hear. . .”

2 Chronicles 7:14

Have we ever felt our prayers weren't getting anywhere? Have we felt God wasn't listening? Or have we prayed and prayed for someone and we see them acting as if they haven't been prayed for?

God has laid a foundation for us: 1)Humble ourselves, 2)Pray, 3) Seek His face, and 4) give up things that displease Him. In philosophy, thinkers use syllogisms as their way of pondering issues. The format is always the same–if this is true, then that would be also. The if phrase, called the premise, set the groundwork for the then phrase, the conclusion.

In our lives we have relationships with others. In order to have a friend, we have to be a friend. In God's world, we have to be His child and live as close as we can in order for Him to hear us.

In the New Testament, the writer of Hebrews states “ . . . let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. . .” We prepare for other activities–grocery shopping, going out to eat, going on a trip, going to work–shouldn't we prepare to talk to God?

“Turn From Your Wicked Ways”

2Chronicles 7:14

We all, in our lifetimes, have performed certain actions or deeds that God didn't like. When we gave our lives to Christ we asked for Him to purify our hearts. Because we are human, we might have kept ‘just a few’ habits–the use of some words, that shortness of temper, the saying of things ‘out of school’ about others.

Guess what? While these habits aren't evil–no one loses his or her life because of them, these tendencies displease God. He tells us here to get rid of them. He has a reason for saying this.

God’s desire is to have us live close to Him. He is so holy, He can’'t look on sin or anything displeasing to Him. While we realize that no one is perfect, He wants us to strive for that state.