Answers
By Billy Graham • July 25, 2017 • Topics: Forgiveness, God's Love
Q:
My friend tells me God never gives up on anyone, but I don't believe it. I've promised God hundreds of times that I'll do better, but then I goof up and go back to my old ways. God must have given up on me long ago. I would have, if I'd been in His place.
A:
Often one of the hardest truths for us to grasp about God is that He isn’t exactly like we are. Yes, if you were in God’s place, your patience would have run out long ago—but you aren’t in God’s place! The Bible says, “But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness” (Psalm 86:15).
What, then, is your problem? The problem is that you have made repeated promises to God—but you’ve sought to keep them without God’s help. You see, in ourselves we don’t have the spiritual strength we need to change our lives and do what is right—not consistently. We are morally and spiritually weak, and without God’s help we can never overcome our tendency to do what is wrong. Even the Apostle Paul admitted, “I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing” (Romans 7:19).
But listen: God still loves you, and He wants to come into your life and help you. And He will, as you admit your sins and your helplessness to Him, and ask Jesus Christ to come into your life. By a simple prayer of faith commit your life to Christ today.
Then ask God every day to help you follow Jesus instead of your old ways of living. Don’t spend another hour without Christ, but daily turn your heart and mind to Him.
