“The
fear of human opinion disables; trusting in God protects you from that.” ~
Proverbs 29:25
I know I shouldn't be afraid. I know what God has shown me in His Word and the study He's had me on for the past years. I know that people's opinions aren't as important as God's opinion. I probably should read my post about fear and being afraid again. Here's the link in case you struggle like I do. More important than my fear or worry is the truth of God - He is loving, He is merciful, He gives grace. These things are true - amazingly wonderfully true - all the time!
"Among the lost souls in hell
there is not one that can say, "I went to Jesus, and He refused me."
It is not possible that you or I should be the first to whom Jesus shall break
His word. "This man receiveth sinners," but He repulses none. We come
to Him in weakness and sin, with trembling faith, and small knowledge, and
slender hope; but He does not cast us out. We come by prayer, and that prayer
broken; with confession, and that confession faulty; with praise, and that
praise far short of His merits; but yet He receives us. We come diseased,
polluted, worn out, and worthless; but He doth in no wise cast us out. Let us
come again today to Him who never casts us out." ~ C.H. Spurgeon
This idea that Jesus will accept us if we go to Him, confess our sins and ask forgiveness, and allow Him into our hearts and lives - I always believed that. I've known that since I was 4 years old and accepted the Lord. I've never questioned that belief or wondered about it. But...the following idea was raised by someone in a position of authority..."It doesn't matter if we accept Christ, but if Christ accepts us." It immediately raised concerns for me. It immediately upset me. It immediately caused me to question and doubt even more strongly the words this speaker had been saying for months.
“God
told them, ‘I’ve never quit loving you and never will. Expect love, love and
more love! And so now, I’ll start over with you and build you up again,’” ~
Jeremiah 31:3
“God’s
arms are always extended; we are the ones who turn away.”
~ Philip Yancey
God loves us and seeks a relationship with us. His arms are open wide and willing to accept us if we just let go and give our hearts to Him. We don't have to be afraid that we are too bad, too broken, too messed up or too sinful. If we confess, God will forgive. It is as simple, as profound, as incredible as that. He is in charge but we have to humble ourselves. And once we ask forgiveness, that sin is gone, forgotten, never to be brought up again.
“When God forgives, He never casts up at us the mean,
miserable things we have done. ‘I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy
transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins.’ A cloud cannot be seen when it is
gone.”
~ Oswald Chambers
“Cry for help and
you’ll find its grace and more grace.” ~ Isaiah 30:19
Sometime in high school, I learned a simple description of the difference between grace and mercy. Grace is getting what we don't deserve. Mercy is not getting what we do deserve. These meanings have stuck with me and while I probably have sometimes taken their importance for granted, in the past few years I have been so grateful and humbled by God's amazing grace and mercy for us. He doesn't have to give grace, but He chooses to. We deserve judgment for our sins and our disobedience, and yet He has incredible mercy. Such amazing love!
"Meditate a little on this
mercy of the Lord. It is tender mercy. With gentle, loving touch, He healeth
the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds. He is as gracious in the
manner of His mercy as in the matter of it…It is great mercy. There is nothing
little in God; His mercy is like Himself—it is infinite. You cannot measure it.
His mercy is so great that it forgives great sins to great sinners, after great
lengths of time, and then gives great favours and great privileges, and raises us up to great enjoyments in the
great heaven of the great God…It is unfailing mercy. It will never leave
thee. If mercy be thy friend, mercy will be with thee in temptation to keep
thee from yielding; with thee in trouble to prevent thee from sinking; with
thee living to be the light and life of thy countenance; and with thee dying to
be the joy of thy soul when earthly comfort is ebbing fast." ~ C.H. Spurgeon
Here was part of my struggle - someone in authority was telling me that I was a terrible sinner who could not be assured of my salvation, that it was only through strict obedience to described interpretations of Scripture and essentially hard work that I could try to prove my faith and even then it might not be true faith. This contradicted everything I had been raised to believe, everything I had come to believe in my own walk with God. But it sounded so true and Biblically supported. I was conflicted and I was lost and I was upset.
"It seems to me that we are far too willing to short sell
grace in order to obtain a set of rules that will "prove" our
devotion."
~ Darlene “Dee” Parsons
(in this article)
"Look
back over your own history as revealed to you by grace, and you will see one
central fact growing large: God is love. . . . In the future, when trial and
...difficulties await you, do not be fearful; whatever and whoever you may lose
faith in, let not this faith slip from you:
God is Love." ~ Oswald
Chambers
The best thing that came out of this time of confusion and anger and hurt was my deeper faith and trust in God. I sought truth in God's Word. I prayed and I listened for God's direction. I sought the guidance and wisdom of strong Godly men and women that God had placed in my life. And I looked to the truth of what I already knew - God loves me, God saved me...I am His and He is mine...I am accepted in the Beloved...I am a child of God and nothing can change that truth.
“I'm
not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on
my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me.
Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of
this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to
Jesus.” ~ Philippians 3:12-14
God has done the true work. I am nothing without Him and His wonderful grace and mercy. I am a sinner who doesn't deserve anything but judgment...and yet God is gracious, He is merciful and He loves me. He loves you. No matter what you've done, no matter what you think about your worth - God is waiting for you to see His wide open arms of love and to confess your sin and let His truth and grace and mercy fill your heart.
“He
has saved us and called us to a holy life – not because of anything we have
done but because of His own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in
Christ Jesus before the beginning of time.” ~ 2 Timothy 1:9
“Let
us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive
mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
~ Hebrews 4:16
He does love us...oh how He loves us.
Dear heavenly Father, thank You, thank You, thank You for how much You love us. Thank You for Your amazing grace and Your incredible mercy. Thank You for the many things I've learned about You. Thank You for teaching me and surrounding me with people who help draw me closer to You. Help me to do the same for others. Please help me to not be afraid. Help me to place my complete trust and faith in You...in all circumstances. I love you. Amen
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