A Beloved SinnerBy Sarah Walker
But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.Romans 5:8 (ESV)
We are all sinners. And yet, right in the middle of that sin, God sent Jesus to earth. Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, we have been reconciled to God, and the relational breach has been repaired. Jesus does not require you to be perfect or without fault before you come to Him. He knows the worst about each and every one of us. And yet He still chose to die for us, even at our worst.
Jesus loves you, right in the middle of your sin and shame. He does not ask you to pick yourself up and clean yourself off before He will accept you. He will be the one to pick you up and transform you. You cannot do it in your own power. In fact, the more you try to hold yourself together through your own efforts, the more you will realize just how hopeless the cause is without the redeeming, transformative work of Jesus Christ.
By choosing to come as the God/man...by choosing to die on the cross...by victoriously rising from the dead, Jesus has reached all the way down to the deepest sins, shames and regrets. Out of love, His sacrifice has purchased peace with God for you. His victorious resurrection confirms every piece of what His mission on earth was about.
Jesus loves you, precious daughter. Jesus loves you no matter how far into sin you have fallen. He is faithful and trustworthy. You can entrust every part of yourself to Him. He designed you. He knows every aspect of who you are. Nothing you tell Him will surprise Him. He already knows whatever it is that is eating away at you. He knows. And you have already seen His reaction to you: There is a cross that bears witness to the great love Jesus has for you, and there is an empty tomb assuring you of His victory and the fulfillment of His love. When you are honestly laying bare your heart to Him, nothing you can say or do will make Him turn away from you. He loves you and died for you...even at your worst.
Jesus loves you, right in the middle of your sin and shame. He does not ask you to pick yourself up and clean yourself off before He will accept you. He will be the one to pick you up and transform you. You cannot do it in your own power. In fact, the more you try to hold yourself together through your own efforts, the more you will realize just how hopeless the cause is without the redeeming, transformative work of Jesus Christ.
By choosing to come as the God/man...by choosing to die on the cross...by victoriously rising from the dead, Jesus has reached all the way down to the deepest sins, shames and regrets. Out of love, His sacrifice has purchased peace with God for you. His victorious resurrection confirms every piece of what His mission on earth was about.
Jesus loves you, precious daughter. Jesus loves you no matter how far into sin you have fallen. He is faithful and trustworthy. You can entrust every part of yourself to Him. He designed you. He knows every aspect of who you are. Nothing you tell Him will surprise Him. He already knows whatever it is that is eating away at you. He knows. And you have already seen His reaction to you: There is a cross that bears witness to the great love Jesus has for you, and there is an empty tomb assuring you of His victory and the fulfillment of His love. When you are honestly laying bare your heart to Him, nothing you can say or do will make Him turn away from you. He loves you and died for you...even at your worst.
GOING DEEPER:
1. Are there sins in your life that you need to turn over to Jesus, right in the middle of wherever you find yourself? If so, spend some time with Jesus doing just that.
2. Consider the sins Jesus has loved you through. Take time to thank Him for His love, and in turn, show that same kind of love to someone else who has sinned against you today.
FURTHER READING:Ephesians 3:14-21
Sarah is married to Scott and is a full-time mom to their two young sons. She and Scott are involved in a small group focused on prayer.
