You Make Mistakes - He Doesn\'t

I grew up in a Christian home and I determined from a very young age to learn from other peoples’ mistakes rather than repeat them. I did things right. I didn’t party. I never got drunk. I respected my parents, saved myself for marriage, worked hard. All-in-all I was a nice Christian girl. I am very thankful for my Christian heritage, but I did not have a deep revelation of my need for Jesus.

"Until you can feel the weight of your sin, you cannot understand the immense value of Jesus’ sacrifice on your behalf."
Coming to the end of myself - staring the ugly truth of my brokenness in the face, my eyes swollen from crying, head pounding with a hangover the cause of which was supposed to relieve my heavy load and numb the loneliness and shame - what a mess I was. I was a failure in my own eyes.

Here is the amazing truth about Jesus - while we were still sinners, he died for us! All your mistakes and screw-ups - he covered them! He paid the price for every sin you’ve made and will make. How precious you are to him. You and I make mistakes, but He doesn’t.

There is a tendency for all of us to rate our sins and the sins of others from minor to unforgivable by our standards. The truth is that to God there is no scale for measuring the severity of your sins. The Bible tells us that we have all fallen short - that none of us can perform well enough to earn salvation. Our good works are like dirty menstrual rags compared to his goodness and purity. It’s hard to get more clear than that!

If you are in a place right now where you feel you’ve done life pretty well and your shortcomings are far fewer than others’, I urge you, ask God to give you a revelation, a sober knowing of your need for a saviour. Like me, you may have been raised in a Christian home which is a wonderful blessing. But, if familiarity with the Gospel has diluted the impact of Jesus’ sacrifice, you need a new revelation of your need for him!

Likewise, if you are staring in the mirror and hating the person staring back at you, weighed down with guilt and shame, I urge you, ask God for a revelation of what Jesus’ sacrifice really means for you. Stop judging your worthiness for God. Stop accepting the condemnation and judgement others may speak over you. Again, none is worthy but for Jesus! He loves you. He wants you to accept his gift of forgiveness and he wants to take that heavy burden of guilt and shame from your shoulders.

Don’t waste another day in the sludge of shame! Jesus has taken that load. He has paid the penalty for your sins. Throw off complacency, self-pity and any sense of martyrdom. That is behind you. You don’t need those anymore! Lift up your head and look into his face full of love for you! Jesus is reaching out to you now saying, “Take my hand. Accept my sacrifice. Let go of that burden. I have dealt with it already. IT IS FINISHED.”

Pray with me: "Jesus, please give me a deeper revelation of my need for you. I don’t want to take your sacrifice for me for-granted, but I feel I’ve grown complacent and familiar with the wonder of the cross. Please restore to me the joy of my salvation. I thank-you now that I no longer need to hang my head in shame. Thank-you for dying in my place and carrying the weight of my sins. Thank-you that nothing can separate me from your love. Thank-you that you forgive all my sins and that you see me now as pure in your sight.

Thank-you that there is no condemnation for me any longer because I belong to you. I thank-you that I no longer have to give in to my sinful nature, because the Holy Spirit lives in me and empowers me to put to death sinful desires. Help me now to live like I’m forgiven and to never again succumb to the grip of sin and shame. I pray this now in the powerful and mighty name of Jesus! AMEN"