I was reading two passages this morning...Psalm 51 and Romans 8...and I am just overcome at the grace and mercy of my Father. I am left speechless, astonished, and amazed at the love He pours out in my life time and again. Reading these passages I started thinking about sin and why it's such a thorn in our sides, why it's such a frustrating thing to overcome, to break free from.
David is one of my favorite Old Testament people...he just rocks. I mean seriously - yes, the dude lived a life of devotion to God, but by no means did he live a perfect life. The greatest tragedy of his life was that he had an affair with a married woman and arranged to have her husband killed when she discovered that she was pregnant with David's baby. Psalm 51 gives us a glimpse into David's broken heart during this time, as he tells God about his sin and promises to turn back to his Creator and Father, the God of the second chance.
Sin is first and foremost a violation against God. We can be sure that in David's story, Bathsheba, Uriah, and David's son were wronged and hurt by David's poor choices. But the relationship that suffered the greatest was the one between David and God..."Against you, you only, have I sinned" (vs. 4). I think maybe it's not so much the actual 'sin' that is so detestable to God...but the fact that it creates brokenness in our relationship with Him. He created us to be in perfect relationship with Him, and our sin prevents that from happening.
Sin has consequences. After David turned away from God, he eventually experienced the full weight of what he had done and he talks about feeling crushed inside (vs. 8). You see, David knew that his relationship with the Father had been affected, and he had seen God remove His presence from Saul after Saul turned his back on God (see 1 Samuel 16:1, 14 and 2 Sanuel 7:15). When we sin, we lose the sense of peace and joy that comes from right living. When we grieve the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30), we feel His sorrow...because He lives in us and produces His fruit in us (Galatians 5:22).
Here's the beautiful thing...our relationship with God doesn't have to remain broken! David found the path leading back to God, and the same path is there for us. When we admit to God that we have sinned against Him and betrayed His trust, when we direct our steps back toward Him, He forgives us and no longer holds our sin against us (2 Corinthians 5:17-19; 1 John 1:9). God looks for a broken and contrite heart that seeks a restored relationship (Psalm 51:1-2, 17). He is the God of second chances. Not only did He forgive David, but look at how He used David to lead others back to Himself (vs. 13)...including us!
I don't think God intends for me to be perfect...because He knows in this world I will fail and stumble...but what He does intend for me to do is to run into His lap when I stumble - accepting the robes of righteousness that He places around my shoulders...throwing off the rags of guilt and shame that the enemy casts at me.
Jesus was sent by God to take upon Himself the burden of sin for all who would belive (Isaiah 53:6; 2 Corinthians 5:16-21). While we certainly need to confess our sins daily and strive more and more to live a life modeled after that of our Savior, the reality is that our sins have already been forgiven through the blood of Jesus Christ.
He took our sin upon Himself, if it's on Him - it can't be on us.
Because of Jesus, when God looks at us, he sees our hearts as pure and clean (Isaiah 1:18).
Check out Romans 8...it is full of God's promises to us...to list a few:
...there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus...
...through Christ the law of the Spirit of life has set us free from the law of sin...
...the mind controlled by the Spirit is one of life and peace...
...we are controlled not by the sinful nature, but by the Spirit...
...our spirit is alive because of righteousness...
...we rest in a Spirit of sonship, not a spirit of fear...
...we are God's children, heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ...
...nothing can separate us from the love of God...
As I was driving today, I heard the song, "You are so Beautiful" by Joe Cocker. It's such a simple song...but I just pictured Jesus singing it to me, and I was completely overwhelmed with His love for me in that moment...and always...
~You are so beautiful to me ~ You are so beautiful to me ~
Can't you see ~
~You're everything I hoped for ~ You're everything I need ~
You are so beautiful to me ~
So I've come to the conclusion that I just need to let God be awesome, to let Him be wonderful, to let Him love me without the restraints that I place on His love for me...to let Him be who HE is...the God who loves to love me, the God who sees me as perfect, the God who grants me the willing Spirit to do His will...the God of Second Chances.
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