Dealing with Past Transgressions
God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent His One and Only Son into the world so that we might live through Him. Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. — I John 4:9-10
I am going to let you in on a little secret: God loves you. I’m serious; I know that I (and I imagine that a lot of people) tend to forget that sometimes, especially when I have not been on my best “Christian behavior.”
All of us who breathe regularly are in a constant struggle with sin. The guilt and shame associated with that can really bring us down. The feeling of unworthiness can be a spirit-crusher that makes us want to give up completely. That is part of our nature as humans; we do it all the time. How often do we give up on a diet (that we are going to follow this time if it kills us!) after we eat that extra piece of cake at the birthday party? We are quitters. But guess what? God isn’t like us…He doesn’t give up.
Take a look at Paul. Now here is a guy that was in no way, shape, or form worthy of God’s love. I have done my share of sinning, but my professional résumé has never included “hunting down and killing Christians” or “holding the coats of Pharisees while they stone deacons.” Paul’s did; he struggles with his past on a regular basis just like we do. In Philippians 3 he talks about “forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead” (v. 13). Man, did he have a lot of stuff to forget! But, he also gives us a word of encouragement about our sin later in his letter to the Colossians. In Chapter 1, verses 21-22 he writes, “And you were once alienated and hostile in mind because of your evil actions. But now He has reconciled you by His physical body through His death, to present you holy, faultless, and blameless before Him.”
Holy, faultless, and blameless…those are powerful adjectives. All of those feelings of guilt and shame that we hold because of sin are completely negated because Christ came and offered Himself as a propitiation for our sins. We can “approach the throne of grace with boldness” because God has reconciled us through His Son (Hebrews 4:16). God’s love for us in unwavering. Nothing can pluck us form His hand.
“Though the mountains move and the hills shake, My love will not be removed from you and My covenant of peace will not be shaken,” says your compassionate Lord. — Isaiah 54:10
2 Responses to “Dealing with Past Transgressions”
amazing. thanks for this, its always nice to have a little reminder every once in a while; and this definitely came at the perfect time. and great colossians verse too.
Past Transgressions, Revisited | Life Outside the Lines - February 10th, 2009
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