Armed with Righteousness by Steven A Cramer

Author:Steven A Cramer
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781462128822
Publisher: Cedar Fort Publishing
Published: 2018-08-15T00:00:00+00:00

YOU ARE WANTED

Some readers may have already crossed the line between virtue and immorality. While sexual sin is enormously serious and even ugly and offensive to the Lord, you must realize that you are not ugly or unwanted. Even though Satan’s enticements have lured you into making wrong choices, these can be reversed by making new choices that will return you to the Lord’s side of the line. No matter what you have done, no matter how long or deliberately you have sinned, God still loves you and wants you back with a stubborn love that is infinite and unceasing. Paul was amazed to discover that Christ not only “died for the ungodly,” but that even “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:6, 8). This should certainly give us hope, “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). Because of Satan’s whisperings, most people who are seeking to repent of sexual sins have an absolute conviction that they are worthless and incapable of divine notice or rescue. In one way that is a good sign because it evidences their conviction of guilt and remorse. But Satan knows how to use these feelings of self-loathing to prevent the repentance and victory these people strive for so earnestly. Always, inescapably, what holds your attention holds you. When we allow Satan to focus all our attention on the ugliness of the sins we have committed, he successfully blocks us from focusing on the way back—the Atonement and gospel of Jesus Christ. The Lord does not consider anyone worthless. As terrible as impurity is in the Lord’s sight, and as much as he may be hurt by what we have done, the wonderful truth is that his attention is not on the sin but on helping us to escape and return to him so that we may be transformed into new creatures in Christ and stand before our Heavenly Father in perfect beauty and holiness.

What we must learn to do when we are bombarded with doubts about the Lord’s compassion, mercy, and forgiveness is to turn to the scriptures and base our hope and confidence on what God has said rather than on our personal feelings while we are still trapped in guilt and shame. John testified that “God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved” (John 3:17). Christ himself promised, “Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37). Offering praise to the Lord, Lehi testified, “Because thou art merciful, thou wilt not suffer those who come unto thee that they shall perish!” (1 Nephi 1:14). And Peter testified that God is “long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). Truly, such magnificent promises should encourage every repentant sinner and provide the strength to shun Satan’s lies.

Some haughty, self-righteous Scribes

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