I’ve been thinking about sin lately.
Whether it’s the streets we walk lined with bars and prostitution, the murder and rape taking place at the local dump, or the envy, gossip and guilt swimming around in my mind… it’s all sin. It’s all separation from God and it’s all worthy of death.
I sit in the conviction of my own measure of sin and wonder how it is even possible to feel joy after all I’ve done.
I look at the cross and at Jesus and it hits me that I hung Him there.
I did it with my heart that too often loves people and the world more than God.
I don’t deserve my salvation, but because of the good news that brings us to repentance and calls us up out of the death we deserve, I can be filled with joy. I can be a missionary in Guatemala, proclaiming the freedom that Christ brings to prostitutes and pot-smokers because of the Gospel. It’s the same freedom I’ve received.
With His help, I realize that my salvation is beautiful because I once lived a hopeless, sinful life. That’s the thing about the good news of the Gospel, the part that’s tough to swallow; the fact that it starts with some very bad news. Our sin.
But being found isn’t nearly as beautiful if you don’t admit you were once lost.
Receiving sight isn’t miraculous if you weren’t once blind.
Being adopted by a heavenly and righteous Father, being named as a daughter of the King – it’s not as incredible if we don’t look at the bad news first. To embrace the gospel-richness of the truths and stories in the Bible, we have to understand and embrace the fact that it’s a book about us, too. The forgiveness and grace extended thousands of years ago is the same today, it’s the same forever.
The Lord looked upon us and saw fit to make us His people. This alone should cause us to marvel at His goodness and give Him praise! Miracles and wonders aside, He chose us. The worst of sinners and least worthy of redemption. He didn’t need us, He wanted us. And never once did God flinch at the plan to reach out and retrieve us from a life of isolation and rebellion in order to make us His people.
The best part? He still finds us worthy of the sacrifice. Seeking any avenue to demonstrate His love; wanting nothing apart from our reconciliation to Him.
I think that in learning to forgive and love ourselves and each other for what we’ve done, we begin to understand on a much smaller scale, what it means for our holy God to forgive and redeem us. It’s a long process and I’m doing it imperfectly…
But Lord knows how quickly I would’ve self destructed without amazing grace.
