Embracing Grace

As a Christian, what does your salvation mean? What are you forgiven for? What is a relationship with God? When God says He forgives you and then casts that sin as far away as the east is from the west… what does He mean? Does He really forget our sins? 

Farther than from a sunrise to a sunset—
that’s how far you’ve removed our guilt from us.
Psalm 103: 12

For I will demonstrate My mercy to them

and will forgive their evil deeds,

and never remember again their sins.

Hebrews 8: 12 

I’ve had some interesting conversations with people recently who sometimes question their relationship with God… maybe more precisely what they’ve been forgiven for. It centers on a struggle with their sin consciousness (as opposed to having a clean conscience). Sin consciousness is the idea of being so focused on avoiding sin, we end up making it the center of our attention. Another way to think about this would be when we allow ourselves to worry whether or not God really loves and cares about us because we do something we know we shouldn’t do in a moment of weakness. The enemy (I like to call him the forever loser) also takes great pleasure in reminding us of our past shortcomings and failures, even those we know we already confessed and asked God to forgive us for. God forgets them, but unfortunately we don’t always.

This is not surprising because there are churches today that teach because we all sinned and we all fall short of the glory of God, no matter what we do we will continue to sin because it is our fallen human nature. Some people go so far as to proclaim they are a sinner saved by grace. Why would you ever want to label yourself a sinner? Please don’t say that. 

I believe God is teaching me there is more to learn and understand. I said this before, but I love The Passion Translation of the Bible. When I read this translation, I feel God’s love for us and gain new understanding by hearing the message in a way my heart embraces it with excitement and energy. 

The Apostle Paul wrote the book of Romans. In chapter 7 he teaches about the law given to Moses, its purpose and living under the confinements it provides to help us live a life pleasing God. It goes on to express those very confinements become barriers between us and God because the law makes us aware of our human weakness. When we fail to uphold every law, our sin separates us from God. That’s why so many animal sacrifices had to be offered to atone for man’s sin and was never adequate to keep us free. God knew we couldn’t conquer sin in our own strength, will power, or efforts. That’s why Jesus came to be our once and for all, said and done sacrifice.

The old system of living under the law presented us with only a faint shadow, a crude outline of the reality of the wonderful blessings to come. Even with its steady stream of sacrifices offered year after year, there still was nothing that could make our hearts perfect before God. For if animal sacrifices could once and for all eliminate sin, they would have ceased to be offered and the worshipers would have clean consciences. Instead, once was not enough so by the repetitive sacrifices year after year, the worshipers were continually reminded of their sins, with their hearts still impure.

Hebrews 10: 1-3

When we look at this passage at the beginning of chapter 8, Paul gives us a great starting point to consider a different perspective.

So now the case is closed. There remains no accusing voice of condemnation against those who are joined in life-union with Jesus, the Anointed One. For the “law” of the Spirit of life flowing through the anointing of Jesus liberated me from the “law” of sin and death. God achieved what the law was unable to accomplish, because the law was limited by the weakness of human nature.

Romans 8: 1-3

Isn’t it beautiful! We are liberated from the law of sin and death. Jesus’ sacrifice severed the power of sin over us so when we choose to give our lives over to Him and accept Him as our Lord and Savior, His very presence and the presence of the Holy Spirit living in us now enables us to live free from the curse and bondage of sin. It is why the Bible tells us we are new creatures, new creations in Christ Jesus. 

Now, if anyone is enfolded into Christ, he has become an entirely new person. All that is related to the old order vanished. Behold, everything is fresh and new. And God made all things new, and reconciled us to Himself, and has given us the ministry of reconciling others to God. 2 Corinthians 5: 17-18 

God makes us brand new! He receives us as His own, an heir right along with His son Jesus. Again, in Colossians God points out His love and tells us we are worthy of the same inheritance because Jesus redeemed us.

My heart soars with joyful gratitude when I think of how God made me worthy to receive the glorious inheritance freely given to me by living in the light. He rescued me completely from the tyrannical rule of darkness and translated me into the kingdom realm of His beloved Son. For in the Son all my sins are canceled and I have the release of redemption through His very blood. Colossians 1: 12-14 

I love how it says we are rescued out of darkness and into the light of salvation. In the Gospel of John, Jesus himself teaches us this. 

“I speak eternal truth,” Jesus said. “When you sin you are not free. You’ve become a slave in bondage to your sin. And slaves have no permanent standing in a family, like a son does, for a son is a part of the family forever. So if the Son sets you free from sin, then become a true son and be unquestionably free!

John 8: 34-36 

In Romans 4 we have more proof we are made right with our Heavenly Father because of Jesus sacrifice. 

Jesus was handed over to be crucified for the forgiveness of my sins and raised back to life to prove He made me right with God!

Romans 4: 25

When we are born again and receive our salvation from sin because of Jesus, we still live in a world corrupted with sin. We are now set apart, so we need to learn to be in the world and not be part of the corruption. Jesus prayed for us in the book of John and asked Father God to guard our hearts from the evil here and make us holy by God’s truth, the Word of God.

I have given them Your message and that is why the unbelieving world hates them. For their allegiance is no longer to this world because I am not of this world. I am not asking You remove them from the world, but I ask You guard their hearts from evil, for they no longer belong to this world any more than I do.

“Your Word is truth! So make them holy by the truth.

John 17: 14-17 

Did you know Jesus is continually praying for your triumph over the power of sin? Further down in the beautiful chapter of Romans 8, Paul gives us even more truth about God’s infinite love for us and what Jesus’ sacrifice accomplished.

So, what does all this mean? If God determined to stand with me, tell me, who then could ever stand against me? For God proved His love by giving me His greatest treasure, the gift of His Son. And since God freely offered Him up as the sacrifice for us all, He certainly won’t withhold from us anything else He has to give.

Who then would dare to accuse those whom God chose in love to be His? God Himself is the judge who issued His final verdict over them—“Not guilty!” Who then is left to condemn them? Certainly not Jesus, the Anointed One! For He gave His life for me, and even more than that, He conquered death and is now risen, exalted, and enthroned by God at His right hand. So how could He possibly condemn me since He is continually praying for my triumph? Who could ever divorce me from the endless love of God’s Anointed One? Absolutely no one! For nothing in the universe has the power to diminish His love toward me. Troubles, pressures, and problems are unable to come between me and heaven’s love. What about persecutions, deprivations, dangers, and death threats? No, for they are all impotent to hinder omnipotent love, even though it is written: All day long we face death threats for Your sake, God. We are considered to be nothing more than sheep to be slaughtered! Yet even in the midst of all these things, I triumph over them all, for God made me to be more than a conqueror, and His demonstrated love is my glorious victory over everything! So now I live with the confidence there is nothing in the universe with the power to separate me from God’s love. I’m convinced His love will triumph over death, life’s troubles, fallen angels, or dark rulers in the heavens. There is nothing in my present or future circumstances that can weaken His love. There is no power above me or beneath me—no power that could ever be found in the universe that can distance me from God’s passionate love, which is lavished upon me through my Lord Jesus, the Anointed One!

Romans 8: 31-39 

Boy, I got so excited as God brought all this together. It went longer than I expected. There is one more thing on my heart. While every Word of this is true, the forever loser does prowl around like a roaring lion seeking who he can devour. Our salvation and all the promises we get to enjoy as a result of it is ours to keep. That’s not going to stop the enemy from trying to steal it from us. His only purpose is to steal, kill and destroy God’s children and their destiny of living in freedom because of what Jesus did for us. We can still make bad choices because God gives a free will. We can still make mistakes. Temptations will still be set before us to entice us.

The good news is, even when we stumble… all we have to do is tell God we are sorry and ask His forgiveness again. He wants nothing more and He will wrap us in His loving arms and receive us right back. The best way to avoid stumbling is to stay in God’s presence, read and study His Word every day, and ask Him to help you avoid the pitfalls of the enemy and He will. That’s why when Jesus taught us the Lord’s prayer it includes the part of, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. It’s a good prayer to pray every day. Another good one is this passage out of 1 Thessalonians.

Now, may the God of peace and harmony set me apart, making me completely holy. May my entire being—spirit, soul, and body—be kept completely flawless in the appearing of my Lord Jesus, the Anointed One. The one who calls me by name is trustworthy and will thoroughly complete His work in me.

1 Thessalonians 5: 23-24

If you are struggling with embracing God’s gift of grace and living a life of freedom because of our faithful God, I encourage you to seek God and study these scriptures until God helps you feel His incredible love for you. Choose to believe what His Word says. God does not lie. He created you to be part of His family. He loves you as His child. This is not something any of us can do in our own strength, will, or intellect. Building a relationship with God by investing time and love in His word and in prayer is what you need. Relationships are built when both parties contribute to the process.

Stunned and bewildered, His disciples asked, “Then who in the world can possibly be saved?” Looking into their eyes, Jesus replied, “Humanly speaking, no one, because no one can save himself. But what seems impossible to you is never impossible to God!” Matthew 19: 25-26

All things are possible with God. Embrace His loving grace today. Our life-union with Jesus opens the blessings of a freedom only God can give to live a full and rewarding life serving Him.

May the peace and shalom of God be with you.