There is a way to be good again

“There is a way to be good again.” 

This thought-provoking statement screams to the reader in the short opening chapter of The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. In fact, I believe that statement is the essence of the appeal of this difficult-to-read, yet beautifully written novel about guilt and redemption. The very idea that a bad act (or non-action) committed in the past could be undone or corrected appeals to all; which of us hasn’t struggled with at least one life-altering decision—an “if only” of life? Unfortunately, we cannot undo the consequences of our bad actions (our sins). Somewhere deep down most know this, but many of us struggle to redeem ourselves, which is totally impossible, but . . . there is One who can free us from the guilt and stain of our sins. 

For this I am thankful; if you really knew me, you would know that I am a sinner who has made a lot of bad decisions and committed a lot of sin in my lifetime. (It isn’t all big stuff, but sin does have a way of accumulating over time.) In spite of this, Jesus offered himself on a cross over two thousand years ago for my sins—every last one of them. As a result of this free gift, I can be good again—at least in the sight of God, the only One who matters. Just as there was nothing I could do to earn this gift, there is nothing I can do that will take it away (as if I would want that!). I am a new creation, saved by grace and justified before God—sanctified by Him alone. I am not who I used to be, and the sins that I committed are covered. It is called redemption. Redemption is the freedom that so many seek yet never find because they are looking for a way to be good again that involves something they can do for themselves. Please let me tell you that it doesn’t exist! There is nothing any of us can ever do to cover our own sin—only Jesus can do that for us, and we need His free gift desperately. My prayer for you is that if you are looking for a way to be good at all, much less again, you will seek the One who can do this for you.

One of my favorite verses follows the well-known, often taken out of context verse of Jeremiah 29:11, which is addressed to an entire nation in exile.  Through Jeremiah, God tells them that He knows the plans He has for them (good plans—not calamity, even though it seemed like it at the time to them), and that if they would call on His name and pray, He would listen to them (v. 12). The verse that follows always captures my attention, and I hope it is both a warning and encouragement to you today just as it was meant for a nation in exile: “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart” (v. 13). God desires a relationship with man—to the degree that He does all the work to make it possible through Jesus Christ. We can remain strangers to God, or we can draw near to Him—the One who can make things good for the first time ever!