Morning and Evening - Evening, September 6It's not about me. It's not about my sin. Sure, sin affects my life. Sin affects all of our lives because we're human, but ultimately, the universe doesn't revolve around my sin. The universe revolves around Jesus.
"If ye be lead of the Spirit, ye are not under the law." Galatians 5:18
He who looks at his own character and position from a legal point of view, will not only despair when he comes to the end of his reckoning, but if he be a wise man he will despair at the beginning; for if we are to be judged on the footing of the law, there shall no flesh living be justified. How blessed to know that we dwell in the domains of grace and not of law! When thinking of my state before God the question is not, “Am I perfect in myself before the law?” but, “Am I perfect in Christ Jesus?” That is a very different matter. We need not enquire, “Am I without sin naturally?” but, “Have I been washed in the fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness?” It is not “Am I in myself well pleasing to God?” but it is “Am I accepted in the Beloved?” The Christian views his evidences from the top of Sinai, and grows alarmed concerning his salvation; it were better far if he read his title by the light of Calvary. “Why,” saith he, “my faith has unbelief in it, it is not able to save me.” Suppose he had considered the object of his faith instead of his faith, then he would have said, “There is no failure in him, and therefore I am safe.” He sighs over his hope: “Ah! my hope is marred and dimmed by an anxious carefulness about present things; how can I be accepted?” Had he regarded the ground of his hope, he would have seen that the promise of God standeth sure, and that whatever our doubts may be, the oath and promise never fail. Ah! believer, it is safer always for you to be led of the Spirit into gospel liberty than to wear legal fetters. Judge yourself at what Christ is rather than at what you are. Satan will try to mar your peace by reminding you of your sinfulness and imperfections: you can only meet his accusations by faithfully adhering to the gospel and refusing to wear the yoke of bondage.
It's really easy for me to beat myself up. Either I did something I shouldn't have, I didn't do something I should have, I didn't do something as well as I'd like to have done, or I forgot a critical detail that in all likelihood caused something to blow up or fail.
I have moments of doubt. I have moments of fear. I have moments when my sin seems so large, when I'm so aware of the fact that my flesh wants to rebel, that the idea of a Holy God calling me His son seems so far away. I have plenty of moments in which I feel so overwhelmed that I feel like the rest of the world must look at me and wonder what I missed out on to become so weak and scatterbrained.
If I dwell on all of the weakness within myself, there needn't be any wonder that I go down the emotional tank when things get rough.
In and of myself, I am weak. But it's not about me. It's about Jesus. I can't allow myself to dwell on my weak moments of faith. I can't have faith in my faith. I have to have faith in Jesus. When I am weak, He is strong. When I have moments of fear, He has more bravery and strength than anyone could ever dream of. When I am doubtful, He is sure.
Even in moments when I don't FEEL like I'm on top of everything I should be, I have learned (I hope) that in Christ, there is freedom. And those He has set free are free indeed. He's freed me to depend on Him. His righteousness is my righteousness. His strength is my strength. His victory is my victory. His death was my death, and His resurrection is my eternal life.
No comments:
Post a Comment