This word is submitted by Teresa Seputis [ts@godspeak.net]

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                       Forgiveness

Child of Mine, why do you find it so hard to believe that I love you
and that I care about you greatly? Is it so hard for you to receive 
My Love because you are keenly aware of your own sins and short-comings? 

Yes, dear one, I know about them, and I understand that you have not 
been perfected yet. While I do not approve of sin in your life, I do 
not count it against you, because you are covered by the blood of My 
Son and sin has no power to separate you from Me.

The enemy of your soul would tell you that when you sin, you must be
punished for it. He would say that you can not simply repent and run
back to Me, and be instantly restored to fellowship with Me. He would
tell you that you have disqualified yourself from My favor and that
you must make suitable restitution for your shortcoming before you
can approach Me again.

But I would say to you that he is a liar, and that the things he is
telling you are lies designed to keep you separated from Me. 

The truth is that My Son has already paid for your sins. He has 
cancelled your debt and He has already endured your punishment for 
you. As much as the enemy of your souls would like to count your sin 
against you, he is powerless to do so. My power to forgive you is 
greater than his power to condemn you.  

So do not believe his lies and do not behave as if they were true.
Remember that I do not look just at your actions; I also look at the
attitude of your heart. I am able to tell when you truly repent before 
Me, and I am willing to forgive and restore.

The enemy of your soul is trying to separate you from My great love
for you. He wants you to see Me as too scary to approach. He wants
to convince you that you must prefect yourself before you can begin
to approach Me. But dear one, it will never be possible for you to do 
that; you are powerless to perfect yourself and you do not have the 
ability to do so. 

That is why I have placed My Holy Spirit inside of you--to change you 
and to transform you from the inside out. The more you cooperate with 
Me in this, the more I will make you like Myself, and sin will have 
less hold over you.  

So draw near to Me and receive My great love for you. My love is healing; 
it will restore you and strengthen you. The more you run back to Me with 
a heart to submit to My will, the more I can work My transformation and 
My glory in your life. The faster you run back to Me, the faster I can 
separate you from the guilt and power of sin to destroy you, and I can 
begin to work My holiness and purity within you.

Dear one, do not believe the lies of the devil designed to separate 
you from Me. I am love, and I love you greatly. I have forgiven your
sin--not because you have made restitution for them, but because My
Son has already paid the price for them. You are forgiven because of 
what He has done for you, and the door has been opened to you to come
into intimacy and close relationship with Me.

So run to Me, dear one, and receive My great love for you. Allow Me
to cleanse and purify you, allow Me to break the power of guilt and
condemnation off of your life. Allow Me to set you free form the
things that hold you back and allowed Me to transform you to be more
like Myself, so that My glory will shine brightly through you.

Do not be afraid that I will push you away or condemn you. Run to Me
and receive My great love for you.