Forgiveness

To say that the wages of sin is death is pretty rough language. But no matter how you look at it, there's truth to it. To live with one's own wrongdoing is such a heavy burden that something's gotta give. And one of the most common casualties is the person the sinner was intended to be. The weight of sin can (and will) keep us from growing in the direction God intended—the direction that's healthiest for us. It will pervert the person we are until the person we should have become is eclipsed.
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In both the Old and New Testaments, forgiveness of sin is compared to life. To be forgiven is to be saved from death: 
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David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” Nathan said to David, “Now the Lord has put away your sin; you shall not die."
✙ 2 Samuel 12:13
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To be forgiven is also to be made alive:
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God made you alive together with him, when he forgave us all our trespasses
✙ Colossians 2:13
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And so to pray for forgiveness is to pray for our very lives—at the very least it is to pray for the fullness of life as God intended for each of us.
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Prayer after thinking about today's devotion:
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Eternal God, whose Word is a lamp for our feet and a light for our path, we recognize and confess that we have failed to respond fully to your gracious presence in our lives. Through Jesus Christ you have offered us new life, fulfillment, and the freedom to serve you. We confess that we are captive to sin that our sin binds us with false pride, and that the wrong we do is made worse by the good we leave undone. Reconcile us to you and to all people. God of mercy, forgive all our sin and strengthen us anew for life as you intend it; through Jesus Christ our Savior.
✙ United Church of Christ✙ 
After your own thanksgivings & petitions, close with the Lord's Prayer.
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Text selection ©2021 Evangelische Brüder-Unität. All scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version, unless otherwise noted.