Jacob’s story gives me hope. Why would He choose me with all my faults and flaws? But that is not how grace works. Grace is undeserved favor. And that grace has spilled over me, rendering me lovable and worthy in His sight. My imperfections are covered by His blood.
Tag Archives: John 3:16
Everyone is Included
For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 (NLT) One of the concepts we struggle with as human beings is God’s mercy. We are wary of grace in its simplest form. We …
Weighed Down
Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down… The LORD laid on him the sins of us all. Isaiah 53:4-6 (NLT) Yesterday, my son and I were talking about God and suffering. He was telling me his friend doesn’t believe in God. His friend’s logic is that if …
The God who Suffers with Us
The vastness of God’s love is so immense He took on human form and came in person rather than send a proxy. Love Himself, in the flesh, to live what we live, to endure what we endure, to be the sacrificial lamb in our place.
The Gift and the Giver
God’s greatest gift to humankind was given to us at Christmas; His one and only beloved Son. Anyone – that means you and me – who believes in Him receives eternal life.
I Don’t Measure Up
You and I have a similar problem; we don’t measure up to God’s standards. The Bible tells us God is a holy God and He cannot look upon our sin. Therein lays the rub. No human being, other than Jesus, is without sin. When we measure our sinful nature against God’s holiness we fall short. But the Gospel doesn’t leave us without hope. On the contrary, God gave His only beloved Son as a sin offering. He took our sin, our faults, our shame, upon Himself so we might be cleansed from all sin. When God looks at us, He sees us through the filter of the cross; no longer stained by sin, but white as snow.
Unconditional Love
We love because he first loved us. 1 John 4:19 (NIV) “Mommy, do you still love me?” His words sent me reeling. “Of course, I love you, sweetheart! Nothing and no one could ever change that.” “Even when I have a meltdown at school and you have to come get me?” I …
Don’t Fight These Arms
Mercifully, God’s grace is greater than our own rebellion. Patiently, He quells our stubborn, defiant nature and urges us to stop resisting. When we finally stop striving against Him and rest in His love then we realize His embrace is actually the safest place you and I could ever be.
Acceptance
I am so thankful Christ’s acceptance is not conditional. His sacrificial love is based not on my merit but on His mercy. He does not consider my flaws and blemishes. He does not look at me with contempt despite the ugliness of my sins. On the contrary, He lavishes loving acceptance on me, imperfections and all.