HAUNTED
Matthew 14:1-2
“At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the report about Jesus and said to his servants, ‘This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him.’ ”
King Herod was a haunted man – tortured by his conscience because of the sin he committed when he had John the Baptist beheaded, and he became paranoid. I can imagine that every night when he went to bed, he saw in his mind’s eye the platter with JB’s head on it (vs. 11). Oh yes, he was sorry (vs. 9), but not sorry enough to repent. So he lived a haunted life, full of regret. “For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted, but the sorrow this world produces death” (II Corinthians 7:10). By God’s grace, a person does not have to live a life of regret for sin, because there is a place of cleansing and forgiveness. I do have regrets for my past mistakes, but my sin is under the blood of Jesus. It is forgiven, and I am not haunted by unforgiven sin. I sing with David, “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities...” (Psalm 103:2-3). There is an old hymn that expresses it well: “Oh the joy of sins forgiven; Oh the rest the blood-bought know; Oh the peace akin to heaven, where the healing waters flow.” Herod knew nothing about that kind of peace.
TODAY’S PRINCIPLE: The Christian is free from the condemnation of past sin because it is forgiven.
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Have a forgiven day. Love you.
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