Have you ever felt overwhelmed with regret, even for a moment, because of past failures? I have and it can take your emotions down to the bottom of the ocean where there is no light and no life. The great news is that though you may remember your failures, God doesn’t.
There is a fascinating Scripture in Romans 4:19-21 that gives us keen insight into this issue in the story of Abraham. You may remember that God promised good ole Abe that he was going to be the father of many nations, but for years nothing happened.
One day, he and Sarah hatched what seemed like a genius idea. They would help God fulfill His promise by using a custom of the day which allowed wives to give a female servant to their husband for the purpose of impregnating her. When the child was born, the wife would be there and the child would be considered hers. This was the ancient way of having a surrogate to provide a child to a husband and wife.
There was a problem though. This was not God’s plan! It was the plan according to the flesh of Abraham and Sarah. God actually wanted Abraham to trust Him to get Sarah pregnant through Abraham, though she was past child bearing age.
When you read that story in Genesis 12-25, there is no doubt that Abraham wavered in his faith in God’s promise. But, here is how God remembered it when the Holy Spirit wrote Romans 4:19-22 through Paul.
19 Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah’s womb; 20 yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform. 22 Therefore it was also credited to him as righteousness. NASB
Do you see it? Because God saw Abraham’s righteousness, He says that Abraham “did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God.” And that is the good news of the Gospel! As one who is in Christ, you may occasionally visit the land of regret, but God wants you to “set your mind on things above, not on the things on the earth.” (Colossians 3:2) In other words, let the Gospel guide your thoughts away from regret and into the confidence of your gift of righteousness in Christ before our Father! And as one who is 100% righteous before Him in your identity in Christ, your soul will be able to rest in the peace of God.
What are you going to do the next time Satan brings regret into your mind? Preach the Gospel to yourself remembering that because you are righteous, God sees you as one who has lived by faith, not by doubt.
Believe it! It’s the Gospel!
Live Free In Christ,
Mark Maulding, President and Founder
www.GraceLifeInternational.com All Content Copyright © 2014 Mark Maulding
