Do you feel like you are too far gone for God to reach?
Do you feel like you have done the unforgivable?
Have you embraced everything that is deplorable to God in contempt because of how your life has played out?
Do you continue on the path of self destruction because you feel you're a lost cause?
More than twenty years ago, I had a conversation with a young man who, despite being kind-hearted, was incarcerated for federal offenses. Raised in a household marked by trauma, he absorbed the negative influences around him and resorted to drug dealing and street activities. Despite his actions, he held onto his faith in God. During our discussion, he shared a profound statement that left a lasting impact on me. He expressed, Â "I didn't want anyone to lose their salvation, so if someone needed something sinful done, I did it so that way they didn't lose their chance. I was already lost". This encounter taught me that there exists a belief system suggesting that salvation must be earned through actions and that God's forgiveness has its limits. However, I am here to debunk these misconceptions.
King Manasseh reigned over Israel for 55 years. His father before him was a good man. You would think he would follow his father's footsteps, but instead, he was lured away from his father's teachings, tempted by the gods and their magic. Some call him the Sorcerer King because he practiced divination and consulted fortune tellers. Some scholars believe it simply started as a political move to win over the neighboring cultures, forging an alliance. Nonetheless, King Manasseh was lured by the powers of divination, and it wasn't long before he built idols to the gods within the temple that was meant for the God of Israel. Among the many gods King Manasseh served was Molech, who required child sacrifice as an act of worship. In his hunger for power, King Manasseh sacrificed his own son to the fires of Molech.
All the prophets warned Manasseh of how he was angering God, yet he continued. He was considered a tyrant of a king who forced the people to worship his idols, with Molech being one of them. This meant that the people of Israel were to sacrifice their children. So you can imagine the fear the nation lived in under Manasseh's rule. Take a moment to envision what life would be like under a king such as King Manasseh. All the while, God was sending prophets to warn Manasseh, but he paid them no attention, persisting in his rebellious path.
One day, the Assyrian Empire overthrew Israel, seizing King Manasseh and taking him prisoner. Such poetic justice, if you ask me. That the tyrant king who worshipped the gods of the Babylonians was now a prisoner in Babylonia with no one to save him. The Assyrians were known for their torture. The once sorcerer king who openly mocked God was now without a crown, chained, and brutally beaten in prison by the people of the gods he worshipped. It was then that he cried out to God.
55 years, 55 horrible years for the nation of Israel under his rule. Idols were raised in the temple of God. He led God's people to worship these false gods as well. But now that he is at rock bottom, in humiliation and despair, he humbly cries out to God, and God responds with forgiveness.
The tyrant sorcerer king was a changed man, and it's recorded in the Bible for you and me to read, to show us that absolutely no one is beyond the reach of God. The king that once actively promoted idolatry now affirms the exclusive sovereignty of God. This story is here for us to understand that no one is beyond the reach of God's divine discipline; no government or king is immune to the repercussions of their decisions. But above all else, it illustrates the transformative power of genuine repentance. No matter how far you strayed away from God, the path back to Him is always open to the truly contrite heart. This story exemplifies the depths of God's mercy and grace even after decades of open rebellion. God is willing to forgive and restore, for you as well.
You cannot earn your salvation; it is a gift that neither you nor I deserve. I witnessed that young man mature and grasp the biblical truth that liberated him. Two decades later, he is a forgiven individual with unwavering faith, wholeheartedly serving God. He does not serve out of obligation, as we lack the means to repay God. Instead, he serves out of gratitude for the freedom God instilled in his heart. He has come to comprehend the concepts of mercy and grace and has accepted them. This transformation profoundly impacted him, leading him to serve God out of love.
Repentance is the key
Repentance is crucial in this context. Manasseh and the young man were not granted gifts by God simply because they made requests. Instead, they were forgiven due to their genuinely repentant hearts. Have you repented?
Repentance is not just tears or an apology. Repentance is a change in behavior. Without change, its not true repentance its manipulation. You can't manipulate God. Dig deep and look in your heart! Have you repented?
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