How AWESOME is it that we are God’s children?? How amazing is it that He loves us and desires us more than anything?? How wonderful is His amazing grace and His gift of forgiveness?? The FYMs are going through a book called “Who I Am in Christ” and I have had some real eye-openers through it. God is awesome, and the fact that He wants me despite all of the sins of my past gives me a joy that passes all understanding. I would like to share with you an excerpt from the chapter titled, “I Have Been Redeemed and Forgiven of All My Sins.”
“When spiritually imprisoned people are set free, they become zealous for good works. Suppose you were a prostitute, and the king had declared that all prostitutes were forgiven. You saw the decree and the seal on it. That would be great news wouldn’t it? You probably would rejoice, but would that news alone change your perspective of yourself? You would probably still perceive yourself as a prostitute. Would it change your behavior? Possibly not. You would just not have to sneak around and practice your trade in secret anymore. But what if the king’s decree said that you were not only forgiven, but that the king had made you his bride? If you had become the queen, would that change your perspective of yourself? Would it change your behavior? Of course it would! Why in the world would you live like a prostitute if you were the queen? In Revelation 21:9, we are told that the Church is the bride of Christ, ‘the wife of the Lamb.’ All of God’s people are as special as a dearly loved bride from God’s perspective, and if they only knew and believed that, they would do good works out of hearts full of love.”
I love this passage. It made me do a reality check and ask myself, “Hilary, why are you still living in bondage to the sins and mistakes of your past when God doesn’t hold it against you? Why don’t you see yourself the way God sees you?”
My prayer is that both you and I will fall more in love with the King each day. His never-ending, indescribable, unconditional love will sustain us. To God be the glory!!
