This is Grace

1^st John 1:5 says, “This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.” The great Christian Struggle. Humans, one created perfect, became sinful through Adam and it spread to the whole race of man. Now we are separated from Christ because of our sin. God created the Heavens and they sing of His glory. He formed the sky and their expanse and they sing of His glory. God created us and called us very good, and we turn away. We continue in our sin.

This passage has been huge in my life because of my great struggle. My sin that keeps coming back to me, or maybe it’s better to say that I keep running to it instead. Everyday, it haunts me and reminds me of its presence in my life and every day, I give in… but just a little bit. I keep asking myself, “Why do you keep running back to this?” God wasn’t kidding when He literally said, “As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly (Proverbs 26:11).”

A fool repeats his folly… “You don’t understand, God,” I explain. “This sin just won’t go away. It is a part of who I am because no matter how hard I try to change, nothing can rid this sin from my life. I’ve tried praying, reading my Bible, fasting, going to church, leading worship… I’ve done so many great things for You… But this sin is still here to stay.”

But there is redemption.

1^st John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” But what if I don’t feel forgiven? What if my sin is just too much for God’s forgiveness? I don’t feel cleansed from all unrighteousness: in fact I have the same sin come back and eat away at me everyday.

You may be reading this waiting for me to answer all of this: waiting for an explanation for these questions. I have no step-by-step plan to fix these issues or to fully get rid of sin, but I do have an answer. Love God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind (Luke 10:27).

One of my good friend sent me a text today that simply read “Romans 8:28-39”. During a break in-between my classes, I picked up my Bible and read this passage. You may know the first verse by heart, but just in case, Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” It is possible to conclude that the word all really means all. Literally everything will work together for good to those who love God. Why? Because all things work together to glorify God. That is the reason we were created and the reason we live, is to give God glory.

You may be asking, “How does my sin glorify God?” It reminds me of two things.

Luke 7:46-47 says, “You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.” When we understand the weight of our sin, how are we to respond but in complete worship? Rob, do you understand that your sin and your desires are disgusting to God and for all the things you have done; you deserve to go to Hell and live there for eternity. However, by the grace of God, He has adopted you as a son and given you your inheritance, which is eternal life (Ephesians 1). He has called you forgiven. Son. Friend.

Starfield wrote a song that remains to be one of my favorite worship songs that I’ve been singing in church ever since I started leading worship. The chorus says, “I am just a beggar here at Your door. I am just a shipwreck here on Your shore. I come empty handed ready to see Your life in me changing who I’ve been to who I need to be.” The fact is that we come before the throne of God broken and desolate. Isaiah 64:6a says, “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags.” If our righteous acts are like filthy rags, then our hope for salvation is completely destroyed. Imagine trying to carry a newborn baby, but being rejected because the newborn believes he can walk. The baby will just failing and failing until finally he learns to surrender to the comfort and love of the Father.

Sin reminds us of who we are. Yes, sin is wrong and we should chase after the Father with all that we are by His grace, but God uses our brokenness to give Him even more glory. God draws us to Himself even though we are dirty and even though we are in no way deserving of His love.

This is grace.

So whatever you’re going through or dealing with, know that God love you and He chases after your heart through everything. Seek after Christ with all that you are and give Him the glory that you were destine to give because the truth is that God, in the end, will receive all the glory anyway, it’s just a matter of you joining in the celebration. Chase after God and let Him consume your desires so that nothing else will become an idol for you. Don’t be carried away by the things of this world or even your “needs”, for Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

You have been purchased with a price, and sin has no hold over you. Live in it. – Forsake All