If you’re completely honest with yourself, there is tension between who you want to be and who you currently are. [Tweet that]
The whole world currently exists in the already but not yet.
Jesus already came. He died for our sins. He resurrected, conquering death, sin, and Satan. We have already been redeemed by our gracious, loving God. But we have yet to see Him make all things new, which He will do upon His second coming.
We have already been saved but not yet perfected. We are already saints by identity but not yet by deed.
This can be a frustrating place to be.
In Romans, Paul, himself, experienced this tension. He says:
For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate…. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing…. For I delight in the law of God,in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? – Romans 7:15, 18-19, 22-24
It’s a battle each of us wage. The battle between our flesh and our new nature imparted to us by the blood of Jesus.
In my last post, I addressed the fact that we all are like the prostitute depicted in Luke 7 whether we recognize it or not. [Tweet that] Our sins are great. Not small. Our offense against our Creator loom large before us, whether we see them or not. But what amazes me (and should amaze you as well) is the fact that if we are covered by the blood of Jesus God doesn’t see our sins. He doesn’t see our record, but instead, He sees Jesus’, which is why we now have the right to come before the throne, dirty hands and all.
When Jesus died on that cross, He took every sin I have ever committed and every sin I will commit upon Himself, and in exchange, I was given Jesus’ righteousness. Despite my many, many, many shortcomings, despite my sin, despite my continual propensity to turn to other things before I turn to my God, I am loved and accepted right where I am. [Tweet that]
And you are too!
{You are loved and accepted by God right where you are.}
Do you believe this? Do you believe you are loved and accepted despite your many failings?
Share in the comments.
I have a reallly hard time excepting that I am loved and excepted by God right where I am… I feel helpless and hopeless.. I was just diagnosed with Aspbergers so Now I am questing why God did you make me this way. People say I am unique but i dont feel it. Please pray for me thanks!
Oh, I’m so sorry to hear of your recent diagnosis, Meg! Sometimes it’s difficult to understand why God would allow certain things to be, but ultimately, He has a plan for you and your life. You are loved, and He will lead you through life. Trust in Him. Know that He is for you not against you. Praying…
Thank you for this message! I have been under condemnation for my failures each and every day! I know what scripture says…Therefore if anyone be in Christ there is no condemnation but the battle rages against me and I struggle! I appreciate encouragement from others because I know I fall so short of God’s glory! The battle belongs to the Lord! I am so thankful He loves me unconditionally, just as I am! He will never leave me as an orphan in the storms of life! He loves us all unconditionally!
Praise Him our God of mercy for His saving Grace! Thank you for being His Hand extended!
At times, it can be difficult to break out of the feelings of condemnation, but be assured that you are loved and accepted right now! His grace is a beautiful thing!!
Thank you, Laurie. I needed to hear this! This has been a season of God really revealing to me what he saved me from…and it’s been a painful time seeing the idols of my heart and the sins I struggle with, but I am so thankful that my heart is covered by the blood of Jesus and that I don’t have to be obsessed with getting better on my own but that He makes me better! Seeing my failures really does make grace look that much more deep and beautiful! I am so thankful He came to sacrifice Himself for us, clean us up, and make us His precious bride. <3 Thanks for blogging. Love your encouragement!
I needed to hear this myself! It’s amazing how we can subtly begin to live under condemnation when we were never meant to! Thanks for the encouragement, Jessica!
YES! I do believe!
This is excellent, Laurie!! I can’t say enough how blessed I and hundreds of others are by your gift of the written word! How you edify, encourage, admonish, delight, and exhort your readers! Thank you, thank you!!
I am so thankful for the work of the Holy Spirit in my life, to have been brought out of darkness into light, from foolishness to wisdom, from condemnation to righteousness, from isolation to intimacy, from deception to truth, from death to life… all by the grace of our loving Father. I am in bewilderment when I contemplate the scandalous and horrid reality of the crucifixion, and flat out on-my-face in gratitude that Jesus did this to set us free, to become made new, to live in the Light, to abide in His power, to be released from fear that we can truly love and receive love.
God bless you, Laurie, and your precious family! loves!!
I couldn’t have said it better myself, Thelma! What an amazing testament you are to our living God! I just love you to pieces! Thank you for simply being who you are… Blessings!
Laurie,
Yes, I do believe I am accepted by my loving God inspite of my faults and failings. It still bogles my mind that, even though God knew that 2000 years later I would continue to be a sinner, he still sent Jesus to die for my sins so that I might one day stand justified and righteous before him. My Lord has blessed me in so many ways, healed me in so many ways, and yet forgives my transgressions as well. Oh, what a wonderful, forgiving, mighty God we serve.
What a beautiful way to put it….