"I'M NOT THE MAN I USED TO BE"

This is a religious song that is often sung by different quartets, groups and individuals, emphasizing how that one’s life has been changed, “by Calvary”, noting the death of Jesus Christ who died on the cross for the sins of the world. Regardless how a person has lived previously, when a person believes in Jesus Christ as being the Son of God, is penitent of sins and obeys the gospel of Christ, his/her sins are forgiven and forgotten (Acts 2:38; 22:16; Hebrews 8:12). Mankind is not so merciful and forgiving. Recently, I read that “Boeing’s communications chief, who was forced to resign because of an article he wrote criticizing women in combat in 1987 - more than 30 years ago - when he was a Navy fighter pilot.” The gentleman explained he no longer held the same views about women serving in the armed services as he did when he was a young man. Nevertheless , he was forced to resign his position with the company. This is a prime example as to the extremes we are now witnessing in our nation. What if God treated mankind in like fashion as those responsible for pressuring this person to resign from his work with this company? Consider the following men who said or did something that was not in harmony with the will of God, the Lord forgave them and used them in His kingdom. Abraham, the ‘father of the faithful’, was not perfect. In two incidents he intended to deceive rulers in order to protect his life. When Abram “went to Egypt”, because of the beauty of Sarai, his wife, he said to her, “Please say you are my sister that it may be well with me for your sake, and that I may live because of you.” Thus Pharoah and others believed that Sarai was only a sister to Abram and not his wife (Genesis 12:10-20).While this statement was partially true, it was not the whole truth. Then there was the time when Abraham and Sarah went to Gerar. While there, he told others, “She is my sister”. King Abimelech took Sarah. God intervened and the king did not touch her. (Genesis 20). David, after much time and many obstacles, became King of Israel. God richly blessed him abundantly with power and material things. Yet, he lusted after a woman, committed adultery with her, and had her husband killed (2 Samuel 11) Peter denied his Lord three times (Matthew 26:69-75). The apostle Paul, prior to his conversion, persecuted the church of the Lord (Acts 9). He referred to himself as being the “chief” of sinners (1 Timothy 1:12:-15) Abraham matured in his faith in God and his belief “was accounted to him for righteousness” (Romans 4:3,5). King David was truly penitent of his sins (Psalm 32; 51). The apostle Peter was truly sorry for his denial of Jesus Christ (Matthew (Matthew 26:75). Saul (Paul) believed in Jesus, repented and was baptized to wash away his sins (Acts 9:9-11;Acts 22:16). These individuals were not men they used to be. He did not hold their past mistakes, faults and sins against them. Have we not all thought, said or written something that displeased God and sought His forgiveness? We should be thankful for the infinite mercy of our Heavenly Father. God has given His children this blessed assurance: “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). “As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12). “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins” (Isaiah 43:25).