A believer had fallen into sin. He said to a friend, "I really would like to come back to God, but the way I have lived in the last few years, He wouldn't have me." His friend immediately said, "Oh, yes He would. He loves you and He will forgive you. As a matter of fact, He is drawing you back now." The man looked pleasantly surprised and asked, "How do you know that?" The friend said, "The very desire that you have to return unto God means that His Spirit is leading you back." That's exactly what happened. The man returned to God. He knew that he was forgiven, and his faith was stronger than ever.
God delights in showing mercy to those who go astray. He is filled with loving kindness and tender mercy. Those who want to return unto the Lord are welcomed with opened arms. The Father still embraces the prodigal son. His Spirit of grace patiently leads us to repentance. God is good all the time, and it is the goodness of God that leads us to repent (Romans 2:4).
God blots out our sins like a thick cloud. His glory in Christ removes all of our sins. The Lord says to His wayward people, "Return unto Me, for I have redeemed you." The word redeemed was commonly used in Bible days to pay a price to set people free. It may involve those who were enslaved or those who were prisoners of war.
God's mercy paid the ultimate price to set us free from the judgment of our sins. He gave His Son on the cross as our ransom, to redeem us and blot out all of our sins. God says to you, "I have blotted out, like a thick cloud, your transgressions, and like a cloud, your sins. Return unto Me, for I have redeemed you" (Isaiah 44:22).
God's mercy paid the ultimate price to set us free from the judgment of our sins. He gave His Son on the cross as our ransom, to redeem us and blot out all of our sins. God says to you, "I have blotted out, like a thick cloud, your transgressions, and like a cloud, your sins. Return unto Me, for I have redeemed you" (Isaiah 44:22).
