I think the message is "don't worry about your past sins for I have forgiven you. Focus on following me fully and you will be kept safe from comitting future sins. Even if you look away and become distracted and fall into a pit, I can pick you up and wash you clean again. Just keep your eyes fixed on me and I will lead you to still waters and green pastures that you might find rest."
At least that is the message God gives me.
From the love, joy and peace God gives us are we empowered to help and heal others with our words and actions for the glory of God.
Amen. My difficulty is many appear not to accept this is possible.
"you will be kept safe from committing future sins"
It is why I started using the phrase "hyper legalism", or OCD legalism, where insecurity
crept into the law.
My view of the law is like an iceburg. Under the surface things are going wrong, growing
developing, and sin is the fruit. Sin is like the fruit of the feelings, approaches, actions,
that fully declare we have left fellowship with God.
So just trying to have a clean slate, a walk that is righteous, misses the source, and core
problem in the heart and our attitudes.
So we need to repent of our sinful actions, but the work really is in our walk in love and learning
how to accept our needs, our weaknesses, our hurts, our rightful responses, but also the need to
forgive, to understand others, to see both our part and their part in everything.
It strikes me in empathy with others, showing care, carrying one anothers burdens we change
ourselves, we are transformed. God is a servant, so in serving we become like Him.
Some said heaven and hell at the same place. In heaven we feed each other, in hell we try
and feed ourselves and fail.