Redemption.
“I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you.” (Isaiah 44:22)
Today I don’t have a witty entry introduction. I don’t have a clever analogy for life and God’s goodness, only truth. A truth that saved my life when I thought my sin had separated me from God forever. Here goes…
Redemption. It’s something that feels lightyears away after a sinful experience. Sin is powerful because it causes you to genuinely feel apart from God. After sin, the spirit grieves because it longs to be near God. Sin is traumatic; and if the devil can get you to buy into a system of measuring sins in a hierarchal system, then depression in eminent. The weight of being separated from God is unbearable if you don’t know the truth of God’s love. You will pull away and try to hide from a God who never actually turned you away. Don’t believe the lie!
Yes, your sin creates a gap between you and the Father. He can’t touch it or be near it because He is holy and pure. Yet, He is so simultaneously in love with you and me that He sent Jesus to die on the cross for all of those sins. The blood of Jesus is such a precious gift because now, when you sin (which we ALL do), God the Father looks at you and sees His righteous child. He sees the blood of Jesus when he looks at you. Jesus, on the cross, took on all of the sins of the world-big and small- and left them on the cross. God sees me as clean, not because ANYTHING I can ever do. My best isn’t good enough; my worst isnt bad enough. Jesus’ blood is so powerful and sufficient. Do you believe that?
Lies cannot stand in the light of Truth. The Truth says that there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Truth says that if you confess with your mouth and believe in your heart that Jesus is Lord, you WILL be saved. Truth says that there is nothing in heaven or in the Earth that can separate us from the love of Jesus.
I know you think “Mik, you don’t know how big my sin is. There’s no way God can love me in this.” I understand. I was there too. Then one day the Holy Spirit convicted me and He asked me “is Jesus Christ’s work on the cross enough or not?” I said of course, who would ever say that Jesus didn’t do enough in His death?! But that’s what we say each time we decide that our lie, or our bad habit is too big for Jesus’ blood to wipe it away. Would you want to tell that to His face? So today, this month, this year, I challenge you to accept the finished work of Jesus. Even in moments of embarassment and shame, repent of the sin and then thank God that He has already taken care of it!
Prayer:
Lord, I want to believe you have redeemed me but I feel like my sin is too big sometimes. Please help my unbelief. Remind me of exactly what Jesus’ death means for my life. In Jesus’ name, amen.
