I found myself before God…

“You are altogether beautiful, my darling! There is no blemish in you!” Song of songs 4:7

I can’t depict if it was a vision or a dream, but some time ago I found myself before my Heavenly Father. 

He said He was pleased with me and thanked me for things I’d done, said and spoken.

I kept apologising for all the wrong things I had done and said. Things I didn’t do very well and situations I could have handled better.

God wouldn’t acknowledge what I was saying, it was like He couldn’t hear me, He was ignoring me. 

I went on and on but He would just respond with all the good things I’d done.

I got frustrated waiting for a response to my apology until He eventually said, “as far as the east is from the west, I have removed your sin. I dealt with this on the cross, so why are you bringing it up?”

“He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.” Psalms 103:12 NLT

We can be so aware of our humanity that we forget the incredible gift from God that makes us holy and acceptable to Him. The New Testament repeatedly speaks of the pardoning of our sins through Jesus, reconciling us to God.

“But you were washed [by the atoning sacrifice of Christ], you were sanctified [set apart for God, and made holy], you were justified [declared free of guilt] in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the [Holy] Spirit of our God [the source of the believer’s new life and changed behavior].” ‭‭1 CORINTHIANS‬ ‭6:11‬ ‭AMP‬‬

Notice, these scriptures are past tenses. 
“He has removed our sins.” “You were washed….you were sanctified…… You were justified.”

It’s already done. We are clean. Our sins have been deleted, erased, eliminated, eradicated, abolished, by the powerful blood of Jesus. Praise God!

But like me in my vision, do you ever feel the need to highlight your mistakes or do you struggle to believe God can forgive others but not you.

Do you ever feel like the Apostle Paul when he writes;

“And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭7:18-20‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Or perhaps you’re response when God “turns up” in a meeting is like Simon Peter;

“Oh, Lord, please leave me—I’m too much of a sinner to be around you.” Luke‬ ‭5:8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

God knows we are but dust, broken weak vessels, born into sin.

“The LORD is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him. For he knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭103:13-14‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Yet because of Jesus we are not only forgiven, but when we accept Him into our lives, we carry Him. Like the colt which He rode into Jerusalem on before He was sent to the cross. He chooses the weak, and the fragile to emanate His glory.

“For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give us the Light of the knowledge of the glory and majesty of God [clearly revealed] in the face of Christ. But we have this precious treasure [the good news about salvation] in [unworthy] earthen vessels [of human frailty], so that the grandeur and surpassing greatness of the power will be [shown to be] from God [His sufficiency] and not from ourselves.” 2 CORINTHIANS 4:6‭-‬7 AMP

So recognise this amazing transaction God did by sending His Son. Accept it, receive it and step into the fullness of God’s blessings. 

Start seeing yourself as God sees you. You’re loved by Him, you’re forgiven….

“…you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.” 1 Peter 2:9 NLT

If you still struggle to accept God’s forgiveness, speak this verse over your life and repeat each day until you believe it and receive it.

Confession of faith: “My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20‭ NLT

An Extract from “STRONGER” The 40 day devotional which you can purchase HERE.