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For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16
In August. I spent a couple weeks with my daughter who'd just had surgery. One day I bundled up the dirty clothes and headed to the laundry in her apartment building. I was welcomed by this sign.
I nodded my head as I read the list:
- Shapes - good because I'm not sure what shape I am!
- Sizes - tall, short, size 2 or 4X
- Colors - what does the song say? Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world. Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight.
- Languages - They might sound like gibberish to me but He understands them all.
- Ages - no age discrimination with God, 10 or 110.
But I squirmed a bit at the rest:
- Sexes - even those who have a distorted view of their sexuality?
- Beliefs - how about those who belligerently declare that there is no god?
- Faiths - surely not the ISIS member who'd beheaded Christians!
Certainly God didn't really mean whoever, did He?
Am I willing to hang this sign on the door of my church?
Do I have a list of people who can't be included in whoever?
God whispered to my heart: Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. Isaiah 59:1
God's Son was lifted up on a cross so that He could draw ALL men and women to Himself. (John 12:32)
He doesn't ask us for a list of acceptable candidates.
He doesn't mark some sins as unpardonable.
He looks through the sin to the agonizing heart.
No stain is so dark that it is beyond His power to cleanse.
He opens his arms to all who turn to Him, brokenhearted and repentant, and He says:
Lord, give me your heart.
"Welcome. you are home."
Lord, give me your heart.
I am so glad that He takes us as we are and that He cleanses us from sin....breaking the power it held over us!
ReplyDeleteAMEN!! Thanks for the encouraging comment, Deborah.
DeleteWe are so quick to judge other people's sin as worse than our own, but all sin is offensive to the nature of God, so all sin is equal in His eyes. I love that you point out this is a positive thing. We could look at other people's sins, no matter how atrocious, and think they don't deserve God's grace. Well none of us deserve it and that is where His mercy shines through! He loved us so much that while we were still sinners, He willingly died for us on the cross. I find comfort in that because I felt so much shame and unworthiness for most of my life and it kept me from having a true relationship with God. I finally realized I was seeing myself through the world's eyes though and not God's. God doesn't look at what man looks at. He looks at the heart! If it were up to us to earn His love, grace and forgiveness, everyone would fall short. I am thankfully for a God, bigger than my understanding. Beautiful post, Sherry!
ReplyDeleteSo true, Kristi - while we were yet sinners. The world attacks us for the weaknesses it sees and we tend to attack ourselves. God looks through our weaknesses with His grace and mercy and loves us. I pray that I can reflect that toward others.
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