Dear 100th Sheep,

One of the biggest challenges for people who love Jesus Christ is to accept His full and total pardon for sin. Did you know that sorrow for sin is a gift from the Holy Spirit? It shows that your heart is no longer hard. You were able to sin in the past without feeling the weight of the Holy Spirit's conviction, but now it hurts to know you disobeyed.

Feeling bad isn’t enough, though. Most, if not all, people feel bad when they do wrong. That’s because people have a God-given conscience. That nagging feeling of wrongdoing that everyone has is proof that God exists:

For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness. Romans 2:14-15

Feeling bad is not the same thing as the conviction of the Holy Spirit. It’s only when the Spirit convicts you that you see how horrible your sin is. It is good, right, and normal to have a period when you grieve over your sin. Ephesians 4:30 talks about grieving the Holy Spirit. God grieves over our sin, and when He opens our eyes, we grieve too. 

This grief is healthy to a point. Before you were escaping pain, now God wants you to sit in it and let it burn. I write all this so you will not be discouraged because of the heaviness of your heart. How long before you no longer feel this way? That’s up to God. I think grief is part of the chastisement that the writer of Hebrews talks about in chapter 12. Feeling sorrow over your sin is proof that the Father loves you and that you are His child.

However, God does not want us to remain in a state of grief for the rest of our life. I started this letter saying that one of the most challenging things is for people to accept God’s full and total pardon through Jesus Christ. There are many reasons for this. You must understand this, so you don’t fall into another trap.

Some believe that their sorrow will keep them from committing grievous sins again. It may help, but sadness is not enough to keep us pure. Remaining in a state of despair will likely aid in committing sins in the future because it has no real staying power. The Bible says, “the joy of the LORD is my strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). No, remaining in despair is not going to keep you from sinning again. Things like staying close to God, “hiding His word” in your heart (Psalm 119:11), being accountable to others (James 5:16), and fearing God will help, but being sorry will only carry you so far.

For some, grief becomes a comfort, like an old familiar blanket you wrap around yourself to shut out the world. Some enjoy their suffering. It becomes part of their identity. They almost take on a victim status, even though they are victims of their own wrongdoing. 

More dangerously than the two mentioned above is the pride of grief. One side of this type of pride is the belief that their sadness somehow aids in forgiveness. This sounds holy, but it is quite insidious. The Bible is clear that forgiveness of sin is only because of God’s gracious gift in Jesus Christ. We can do nothing to aid in our forgiveness. Jesus Christ paid the ultimate price for our restoration by dying on the cross. There is nothing we can add to His work. While we should feel sadness over our sin, we should never fool ourselves into thinking that our sorrow has contributed to the work that Jesus Christ has already done on the cross. When Jesus cried out from the cross, “It is finished” (John 19:30), it means that He did all that needs to be done for our forgiveness, and there is nothing more we can contribute. 

The other part of the pride of grief is the belief that our sin is somehow too great for God to forgive. It’s another religious-sounding sentiment that borders on blasphemy. It is saying to God that the sacrifice of Jesus Christ was not sufficient to forgive “that” sin. Be careful, in your time of grief, that you don’t fall into this foolishness. Jesus said in John 8:36, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” Anything less goes against the very heart of the gospel.

So, I ask you, dear 100th Sheep, are you convicted of your sin? That is because the Holy Spirit has convicted you. Have you repented of your sin, that is, have you left your sin behind and started anew? Have you received the gift of God’s forgiveness?

I close with some verses about forgiveness from the Bible:

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

In Him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace. Ephesians 1:7

Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. Isaiah 1:18

I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins. Isaiah 43:25

Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy. Proverbs 28:13

For this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. Matthew 26:28

I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more. Hebrews 10:17

I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.” Psalm 32:5

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 1 John 2:1

God has forgiven you completely in Christ. You’ll get through the grief in time, but for now, hold on to His promises.

Your Fellow 100th Sheep,

Norman Patterson, Jr.