Not in part, but the whole

In a recent conversation with a leader who confessed his sin to me, I quickly assured him of God’s cleansing work of grace-filled forgiveness. I reminded him that his honest, candid authenticity will lead him out of the dark chamber of shamefulness and into the wide open space of salvation-filled freedom. Yes, his sin is to be recounted with a heartfelt voice of deep remorse, but the fruit of his confession will lead him to joyful freedom and release from the captivity of sin. Sin creates bondage; confession and forgiveness leads to the emancipation of the heart and renewed life in Christ.

“As far as the east is from the west” – that’s the distance that God removes our transgressions from us (Psalm 103:12). God is short on memory and long on forgiveness. Why are we so consistently the opposite: short on forgiveness and long on memory?

When Horatio Spafford wrote the hymn, “It Is Well With My Soul” he was reeling from two major traumas of his life…the great Chicago Fire in 1871 which ruined him financially; and, while crossing the Atlantic, all four of his daughters died in a collision with another ship. “Saved alone” were the two sole words of the telegram he received from his wife Anna. Several weeks later, as his own ship passed near the place where his daughters died, the Holy Spirit inspired him to write this hymn. It’s a classic hymn, filled with hope and promise no matter the circumstances of one’s life here on earth.

In the middle of the hymn are the words, “My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought! My sin, not in part but the whole, Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more, Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!”

The next time you find yourself confessing your sin to God or a trusted confidante, know with great certainty and growing confidence that your sin – not in part, but the whole – is nailed to the cross, forgiven, and forgotten forevermore. May these words breathe comfort and joy into the depths of your too-oft-sinful-being. Hallelujah! I’m forgiven! It is well with my soul!

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Steve Macchia

Founder & President

The Rev. Dr. Stephen A. Macchia is founder and president of Leadership Transformations, Inc. (LTI), a ministry serving the spiritual formation, discernment, and renewal of leaders and learners since 2003. For more than 20 years he has been the Director of the Pierce Center for Disciple-Building at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, where he also serves as an adjunct faculty member in the Doctor of Ministry Program. From 1989-2003 he was the president of Vision New England, the largest regional church renewal association in the country. Earlier in his ministry life, Steve was a member of the pastoral staff of Grace Chapel in Lexington, Massachusetts for 11 years. He is the author or co-author of 17 books, including The Discerning Life (Zondervan Reflective), and Crafting a Rule of Life, Becoming A Healthy Church (LTI), and Broken and Whole (IVP).  He and his wife Ruth live in the Boston (MA) area and are the proud parents of two married children and grandparents to three adorable grandchildren. Steve’s personal website is www.SteveMacchia.com.

My soul comes alive singing the great hymns of the church and enjoying the beauty of God’s creation. I’m in awe of God for fulfilling the dream for LTI that he birthed in my heart, for the team he has assembled, and the transformational impact experienced in the leaders and teams we serve.

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Mitzi Mak

Selah-West Faculty & Emmaus Faculty

Mitzi started her professional life as a high school social studies teacher. She and her husband Jerry then served cross-culturally for ten+ years, living abroad first in India and then Kurdistan, N. Iraq. In addition to being a Spiritual Director, she now serves as a Formation and Care pastor in her local church in Houston, TX. She has graduated from LTI’s Selah Spiritual Direction training as well as LTI’s Emmaus Formational Leadership Program.

Mitzi enjoys engaging conversation, reading fiction, doing jigsaw/crossword puzzles, ocean gazing and exploring the world with Jerry through food and travel.

God has two main callings in Mitzi’s life: to care for those who care for others and to be a guide in helping others have a healthy relationship with the Trinity – recognizing God’s loving presence and activity in their lives and how to faithfully respond.

Selah was a transformative experience for me – allowing the contemplative within to emerge and to beautifully co-exist with my extraverted personality.