Spirit and Life Devotional is a daily publication by Pastor Chinaemerem Ibezim, senior pastor of Able Ministers Chapel, a church based in Calabar, Cross River State.
“But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.” Isa 59:2 NKJV
At about the ninth hour on the cross where He was crucified for our sins, Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” meaning, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” Why did that happen? Isaiah 53:6 says that the Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all. Sin on Jesus made God forsake Him at that moment on the cross.
Now, if that doesn’t scare you then nothing else will. If God the Father forsook His Son at that crucial moment because of sin, then you should begin to understand the effects of sin and how it affects your relationship with God. Isaiah said that the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But our iniquities have separated us from our God; and our sins have hidden His face from us, so that He will not hear. Even though he still called Him our God, yet he said categorically that sin separates us from Him.
Spending multiple hours in church will be a waste of time if we go with sins in our hearts. The good news is that we don’t have to. Our God is a gracious and merciful God. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us of every unrighteousness. Hallelujah!
Prophetic Declaration
Father, I humble myself before you this morning and ask for forgiveness of my sins. I ask that you cleanse me of every unrighteousness, and give me grace to live a life that is pleasing to You. In Jesus name I have prayed. Amen.
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