Secrets can eat away at the soul and whisper unworthiness. They can woo the broken into dark places where the fear of discovery, the fear of admitting imperfections and struggles with sin, leave many shuddering in the shadows. So, we cover our sins, our worries, with good works, pretending we have always been so grown-up, so pulled together, so perfect.
So untrue.
Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,…”
All. You. Me. Everyone.
I struggle with my sin nature. Specific sins have caused me great grief, shame, and regret. But, right when I feel hopeless, right when I feel beyond the redemptive reach of God, I read the beautiful words in verse 24:
“…and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”
Justified freely by grace through redemption. And fear is overcome by the God who sees me and my sin through the redemptive lens of His Son. He declares me beautiful and clean.
My sordid history, your sordid history, is part of a story about a God who died for us while we continued to sin. Bringing hidden sin into the light, confessing and repenting, does what nothing else can. It illuminates our desperate need for grace and forgiveness. It reveals that anything good in you or me is the result of God’s mercy in our life. It shows us what God has known all along, we need a Saviour.
And His name is Jesus.
*from the archives
Amen… Praying and be convictied in Romans 15 , today , praying and repenting …, keeping my eyes focused on the prize CHRIST , HIS , GLORY ….
Amen, Tanis! I’m always encouraged by your comments.
I so needed this reminder this morning – feeling discouraged and stuck in my own sin patterns of pride and negative thinking. I thank God that in my sinfulness, He extends grace and mercy and picks me up and calls redeems from a pit and puts my feet back on the rock!!!!!
I know how you feel, Ellie. I was filing and organizing my website when I came across this post in the archives and it immediately struck a fresh cord. Sinful patterns are hard to break, but praise God – by His strength it can be done for His glory!!