There is nothing you can do to make Jesus stop loving you. There is no sin that can trump God’s love for us. You can lie, you can steal, you can turn your back from Him…and what does He require of you?
To love Him.
What a life changing thought.
I’ve spent my life comparing my sins to some glorified perfect image that I believed a Christian should be. This image was one I could never live up to, because it was unattainable. Why? Because we're human and God understands that. I’m not saying God expects us to fail. He longs for us to be Christ-like. However, the basis of Christianity is that man needs saving from the wreckage. I realized that I did not need to be perfect, because the only perfect man was Jesus. Being a perfect Christian is impossible...we weren’t made to be one.
So why did I feel the need to beat myself up when I didn’t become this perfect Christian? Because I have witnessed other Christians scold and humiliate others sins to the point where they stop believing. This Bible beating, “Don’t do this…”, culture of Christianity is the one that turns people away. Because the ones preaching the works based faith are also human and they too fall…and it results in hypocrisy.
There is no such thing as a perfect Christian. Stop trying to make yourself one. Stop trying to make others one. The only person who is one died on the cross for our sins. For our brokenness. Stop knocking yourself down for this brokenness.
1 Peter 3:18 says “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:”
Our sins have been washed away. God knows that we are broken. He knows that we needed saving. He knows the choices we are going to make before we make them. He would not put us through anything that we could not come back to Him from. There are times I have looked back at my sin and thought “How did I get so far away from you God?” My lows brought me that much closer to Him. It made me want to do better for Him, because He loves me so much. Beyond anything I could ever deserve.
Does that mean I’m saying your works shouldn’t represent your faith? Absolutely not. You should try to keep God’s commandments. What I am saying is this: you can fall, you can sin, and God will love you still. Ephesians 1:4 says "According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.”
When you do fall, because you will, you try again. You try your best to turn away from your sin and you move on from it. Dwelling in your low points, in your brokenness, will lead you to a miserable life. A life full of guilt. The kind of guilt that builds inside your gut and wells in your throat. You will live a life God never meant for us to live.
And you may already know this. In the back of my mind I did too, but I struggled with the aftermath of my sin. Did I disappoint God? Will God forgive me for what I did? Does He still love me?
Of course He will, you are His child.
Psalm 86:15 says, "But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.”
God is not only a God of second chances, but of new beginnings. Every second of every day He gives you one and all He asks of you?
To love Him.
When you love God first. When you full heartedly accept Him in your heart, your love for Him will extend to others. Go out and do good works for Him. Go out and love others because He first loved us. Your actions should represent His glory.
But they won’t always, because you are human. You are capable of mistakes, big ones and little ones. When you do make these mistakes, trust me you will make them, work on forgiving yourself. God has already forgiven you.
