Gracious Father, our hearts leap for joy as we consider the love you lavish on us. The blessing of being your beloved children is amazing. And that is what we are.
Oh Father! With extraordinarily grateful hearts, we consider Christ’s excruciating sacrifice that reconciled and redeemed our rebellious and helpless souls. “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” What words could even describe our undeserving and defiled nature! Graveling hopelessly in our sin, we longed to fill the void only Christ could satisfy. As we did, we madly chased after sin. The lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life consumed us. Sexual immorality, impurity, depravity, building our own kingdoms, making idols after the created things, witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, and orgies, among other things, was our means to satisfaction. The measure of our depravity was incalculable and the pain it has created is immeasurable. We deserved nothing. We had no excuse.
Yet, you Father, motivated by your indescribable love, made him who had no sin to be sin for us. The perfect one, Christ Jesus our Lord, took upon himself the guilt for our sin. All our sin was laid upon him. He was in no way a sinner, but willingly became a sin offering in our behalf. The true unblemished lamb of God sacrificed for us.
Oh Father, Your Son and Our Savior took upon himself the complete penalty for our rebellious ways. What weight! What a price! All our sin heaped upon him. Oh my! We cry out with thanksgiving for your sacrifice and absolute forgiveness.
Through Christ’s redemptive work, unbelievably we find ourselves not only forgiven, but in him we have become the righteousness of God. Christ bore our sins so that we might take on his righteousness.
We celebrate that we are now complete in Christ. In your sight we are now perfect. We are set free to enjoy the full measure of experiential fellowship with our Father through Christ.
Father, when we take sin too lightly, humble us with the gravity of our sin and the precious price paid to redeem us. When we gravel in condemnation for past sin, remind us that we are perfect in your sight, dearly loved, always welcome in your presence, and empowered by your Spirit to live for your glory.
In Christ,
Blessings!
I John 3:1a
How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!
I John 2:16
For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.
Romans 5:8
8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
2 Corinthians 5:21
21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Galatians 5: 19-21
19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Ephesians 3:16
16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,