Sweet as sugar!
Fun, oh so fun!
Independent
Unpredictable
Fierce
Smart
Talented
Brave
Curious
Fast....
Grown up
But that's not why I love you...I love you because you're MINE! Which is good news, because some days you're a fighting, hitting, biting and screaming toddler having a hard time, but I love you all the same.
This is the GOSPEL, that no matter how "good" or how "bad" we think we are, we are loved unconditionally if we are in Christ!! How? How is that? Because God made Jesus, who knew NO sin, to BE sin for us (on the cross), so that (trusting) in Him, we might become the righteousness of God (2 Cor. 5:21). Its the great exchange! JESUS, PERFECT JESUS, IN MY PLACE!
I got to go to a conference last weekend to hear author/speaker Elyse Fitzpatrick talk about this very thing. Here's some of my favorite truths and Scriptures I heard about resting in God's love:
I not only have complete forgiveness in Christ, but I also have God's righteousness! He lived a sinless life from birth to death so He could be sinless to fulfill the righteous life, the law, at every stage-childhood, teen, adult, family years, death. Don't you need Christ's righteousness in your place from when you were a child? A teen? etc.! God looks at you if you're hidden in Christ and says, "What sin?" He doesn't just look at me and see me as forgiven, but as if I've always obeyed in every moment (b/c Christ did)!
You will either pay for your sin, or you will let Jesus do it!
God has no wrath left for me because He poured out ALL His wrath against ALL my sin on His beloved Son. Math question-How much wrath is left for me? NONE! When Jesus died on the cross, ALL the wrath He bore was future sins from that moment, including my future sin. Humanity crucified the Son of God, the worst sin, so He is sure to forgive you of any "great" sin in your life. God disciplines us, but never out of wrath.
God loves the ungodly. Jesus is the friend of sinners. I QUALIFY!!
Secret is, you can't do it (work to make God love you), you must give up and bow before the cross of Jesus. It kills you to resurrect you in new life.
In your pursuit of godliness, have you left Jesus behind?
God's main purpose in marriage is for your santification-to make you more like Him. Its not to fulfill your every desire, but to make you learn to love a sinner, to wash the feet (serve ) your spouse. To become like Jesus, by loving the ungodly.
Say aloud, "This is my beloved son/daughter, in whom I am well-pleased." Is it hard to say about yourself? That's how far away we are from the Gospel at all times. We have to DAILY remind ourselves of it b/c we are by nature legalist and want to turn the focus in on ourselves, have it be about us, not Christ and what HE has done.
Do you live like an adopted child or a foster child to God? Do you run to God or away from Him? FLEE to Him! He's a friend of sinners.
"So the Son of Man must be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life." John 3:15. It doesn't say whoever does right, or whoever gets their act together, NO! Whoever believes-that's the hard part of the Gospel-to transfer your trust from yourself to him, everyday.
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