Too Far

I’ve both felt and have heard others say that they’ve felt that they’ve gone too far to come back to God or come back to their faith.  I think this is because we are our own worst enemy.  We are literally our worst critic.  But God isn’t like us.  God loves on a level that we, as humans, are not capable of understanding but should strive to imitate.  Consider the parable of the lost coin.  
In Luke 15, 8 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins[a] and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
Consider also the Prodigal son.  ““There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.  17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father.  “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.  21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’  22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.”
A lot can be gleaned from these two parables that speaks to God’s love for us.  The first thing that comes to mind is that the angels in heaven rejoice over just one sinner who repents.  Also, the woman that loses the single silver coin searches and searches until its found.
Also with the parable of the lost son, the part that sticks out to me is something that was taught to me by a preacher friend of mine.  The father’s joy.  I’d always looked at the father’s forgiveness.  But his joy is amazing.  The son had a whole speech prepared.  “I’ve sinned against you, against heaven, etc.” and before he could even say this, his father, an old man, was running to him.  He hugged him and kissed him.  And almost immediately after his son’s practiced repentance, he calls for the calf and the robe and the ring and demands a celebration at the return of his son!  JOY!  God doesn’t just forgive, according to these passages.  He’s overjoyed when he can.  
What if my sin is too great? You might ask.  What if I’ve done too much.  I know I’ve certainly asked that.  But consider David and Bathsheba’s sordid past.  King David had an affair with her, had her husband killed and then took her for his wife.  King David.  The man after God’s own hard.  The man that God told through Nathan in 2 Samuel 11: 7 “‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. 8 I gave your master’s house to you, and your master’s wives into your arms. I gave you all Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more.”  God loved David and rewarded him greatly for his faithfulness.  And even he fell from the Glory of God, as we all have and will, and he fell hard.
But he repented, feeling emotions that I can only assume that I’ve felt.  In Psalms 32 he says “3 When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.  4 For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.”
It feels like that some times doesn’t it?  Sometimes I want to cry out “God I’m sorry!  What can I do?”
David answers that question.  He says next, “5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.”  And you forgave the guilt of my sin.”
Acknowledge the sin to him.  Confess.   Repent.  He will forgive.   For the bible says in Romans 8 that “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you[a] free from the law of sin and death.”
There is no condemnation.  Christ Jesus has set us free, praise him.
Also, In 2 Peter 3:8 “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
God’s not slow.  He’s patient.  He waits for you to come back.  He searches like the woman with the lost coin for his lost soul, wishing all to come to repentance.
Come to him.  Truly repent.  Confess your sins to him.  And he will forgive you.  It’s not too late.  It never is unless your heart is not quite right.   Romans 8 goes on to say “5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.”
You’re heart and your mind have to be in it for God to forgive.  You have to truly mean it.  And you can have mercy and salvation