Feeling Helpless and Hopeless?

Have you gone too far?

Is all hope gone?

Have you committed the same sins over and over again? Are you beyond being forgiven? Are your sins so big or so many that you feel worthless, that even God could never forgive you? Have you asked His forgiveness so many times that you think that now that you have done it again, He will just turn His back on you? Are you beyond saving?

 

If your answer is "yes". This is sheer arrogance. Since you are still alive ...there is still hope.

 

Let’s see...what is your big sin? Murder? Adultery? Theft? Drug abuse? Child abuse? Parent abuse? Spouse abuse? Self abuse?........or maybe

GOD abuse? What is the biggest sin you could commit?

 

Let’s go to the source for the answer. God’s word says in Matthew 22:37-40 that when Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was, "Jesus replied: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.

 

And the Second is like it; ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

 

And in Mark 3:28-29 Jesus says: "Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation".

 

Now if God’s word tells us that the greatest commandment is to love the Lord our God and the second is to love our neighbor as our self, we have to understand that He wants us to love Him and He also wants us to love ourselves, and then to love our neighbor also.

 

If these are the most important commandments, then the biggest sins must be the breaking of either of these two commandments. That means that not loving God or loving something or someone more than God is the absolute worst sin we can commit. In that case, all those things listed above pale when compared to this. We certainly cannot love God if we blaspheme the Holy Spirit. All other sins can be forgiven. This one cannot. The price for this sin is eternal damnation.

 

Hosea 4:6 tells us.....

"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge....."

How can we expect to even attempt to live a right life if we don’t understand the most important rules? We must understand whose rules count. If we believe that we can live in this world and live by our own rules and come out winners, we are sadly mistaken. Our rules get us into more and more trouble. We need to get our priorities straight.

 

One of the most important fundamentals we need to understand is that God’s word has given us not only rules, but reasons for the rules and tells of the consequences for breaking the rules.

Another important fact is that God’s rules are for our good and will not hurt us. But breaking His rules hurt us and breaking this first commandment can destroy us for all eternity. We will then spend eternity alone in darkness away from God with no hope of redemption.

If you believe that you have gone too far in your sin life and cannot be forgiven, then you not only underestimate the power of God, but also His willingness to forgive. It shows your arrogance in feeling that your sins are so big that He either cannot or will not forgive you. Jesus is your judge. Stop trying to do His job. You think He may forgive someone else’s sins, but yours are too great.

It grieves Him to see you in this state. The only sin He will not forgive is the sin of refusing to love Him. He wants all to be saved and none to be damned to Hell. But make no mistake about it. He will judge and those who do not choose Him will go to Hell.

 

If you have broken this first commandment--

What you need is true repentance - while you still have time, for soon it will be too late. What this means is more than just being sorry or ashamed of your sins. What this means is that you need to have a change of heart about what matters and who matters. Change your mind about who God is, change your mind about who Jesus is. Change your mind about what they did for you and what they can do for you. Change your mind about what your sins did to you and will do to you. Change your mind about who God can heal, restore and use again.

 

He wants only to have your love and obedience. Is that so much to ask? In return He gives love, guidance, protection from the enemy, peace of mind and oh so much more.

 

If you refuse to love God, there is no way you can really love yourself either. Because to love yourself, you must do things that are in your own best interest, and the foremost thing you can do in your own best interest is to love God.

 

 

 

Steps to overcome the helpless, hopeless feeling...

 

1. Repent

 

  • change your mind about what sin does to you.
  • change your mind about what matters in life.
  • change you mind about who Jesus is and what He did for you.
  • change your mind about what God and Jesus CAN DO for you.
  • change your mind about who God can heal, restore and use again.

 

2. Believe

  • that Jesus gave His life to pay for your sins.

 

3. Confess

  • with your mouth that Jesus is your redeemer.
  • your desire for Him to reign as king in your life.

 

4. Accept

  • the forgiveness that God freely gives to you and then forgive yourself.

 

5. Ask God

  • to guide your life through His Holy Spirit, and help you to love Him more and to love yourself as He would have you do.

 

See what a difference love in all the right places can make.

 

[image]© 1989 Eva McAllen

Butterfly Publishing

CrossDaily.com