Originally published Tuesday, 31 December 2013.
If we are all completely honest with ourselves, we may be able to recognize that there is tension between who we currently are and who we want to be.
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. 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.
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