Those Danged Weeds

Anyone with landscaping around their house knows how much it stinks to have to pull weeds. There are two things I have noticed about the weeds around my house. One is that if you don’t continually remove the weeds, they will soon take over so that you can‘t even see the beautiful flowers underneath. The other is that is if you don’t pull a weed out by the root, it will begin to grow back the next day (those danged weeds!). When you think about it, those weeds are a lot like the sin in our lives.
First of all, sin that isn’t “weeded out” or confessed and turned away from will eventually take over our lives just as weeds take over a flower garden. Isaiah 64:6 reminds us that our sins can “sweep us away”. How many of us haven't been swept away by sin at one timeor another? Thankfully, 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness”.
Secondly, sin that is not pulled out by the “root” will soon creep back into our lives. Revelation 22:16b says “I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star”. All sin has to be plucked out by the “Root”, which is Jesus Christ. Just turning from a certain sin in your life isn’t enough, we must also ask for forgiveness from the one we sinned against (Psalm 51:4) and for His help to keep us from repeating those mistakes. I am so glad that the true “Gardener” (John 15:1) helps me to weed the sin out of my life and gets rid of those weeds for good.
Much of the time our problem isn't asking forgiveness for our sins, but in actually accepting the forgiveness we are offered. Psalm 51:4 says, "Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge". When we sin we sin against God and His son who died for those sins. We know that God offers grace and forgiveness, so why can't we accept it without revisiting it so often? If God can forgive us for sending His son to die, then why can't we forgive ourselves? God says our sins are forgiven and scattered as far as the east is from the west. We should believe Him and let them go. Holding on to past sin is a plan straight from hell. Satan wants us to hang on to the past so that we can't move forward with Jesus. The most amazing testimonies are those of deliverance and overcoming sin. Satan wants to use your past sins to keep you from doing great things for God. Don't fall for it !