Today I want to tell you why God feels the way He does about you. After reading this I would like to ask you to read this. But don't go there yet, because first I want to tell you a few things.
Today I would like to talk to you about:
- Sanctification
- Justification
- Condemnation
Sanctification:
This means to be set apart for God. God says you are special and He has a special purpose for you. This is a process and He is conforming us to Christ's image.
1 Peter 2:9 "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." NIV
Philippians 1:6 " being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." NIV
Justification:
This happens at salvation (when you receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour and turn your back on sin). This is immediate, you have the righteousness (right standing with God) that Jesus Christ has - not because of your works, but because of what Jesus did at the cross of Calvary.
Isaiah 61:10 "I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels." NIV
Romans 1:17 "For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” NIV
2 Corinthians 5:21 "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." NIV
Condemnation:
The enemy wants you to never realize how much God loves you, nor that God's love is not dependant on your performance. Satan will do his best to belittle you, and if that does not work he will try to get you into a works-based relationship with God where you will try to earn God's love, forgiveness and acceptance.
The devil will tell you that you are worthless garbage and that God could never love you the way you are.
Revelation 12:10b "the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night..." NIV
The devil try to make you feel guilty and ashamed of who you are and of what you have done so that you don't feel that you can believe that God loves you.
John 8:44 calls the devil, "the father of lies" so we know that what he says is never true.
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So when we sin and make mistakes, we need to remember that we are righteous (in right standing with God) if we have accepted Jesus as Lord and Saviour.
Hebrews 4:16 "Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." NIV
When is our time of need? Is this not when we have sinned or when we are tired or burnt out? God wants us to draw near to Him and not to rely on our own strength, deeds or right standing with Him. Jesus took our punishment and we took His righteousness.
This is why God can say such wonderful things about us in His Word. You can now read this.
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== ps. If you have not received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, and you have read through the link, you like what you saw and you would like to become a child of God, then please pray this prayer:
"Dear Father God, I am sorry for my sin. I ask that You would forgive me of every trespass. I receive Jesus Christ now as my Lord and Saviour, thank You that He came to earth to die for my sins and that through His blood there is forgiveness and wholeness for me. I place You in control of my life and I thank You for Your great love for me."
Please contact me if you have prayed this prayer. ==
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