Perfectly Loved

"I feel so unworthy. Can I really be sure of Heaven?" The lady was near tears as she asked the question. Her previous religious tradition was rooted in good works and acts of penance. Though she has trusted Christ for salvation, the old influences continue to dog her so that when she is less than perfect she feels the fear! She is not the only one that feels that way, is she? Too often, we turn our gaze from Christ to self, and in the process lose the assurance we need to walk with Him in this world that is filled with sin and fear.

You do not have to be perfect to be perfectly loved! That is the marvel of grace, the wonder of our Christianity, based on the Cross and the mercy of God. The Text declares - God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. (Romans 5:8, NLT) Let that thought sink in. At His own initiative, at His own expense, God reached out to love those who were actively offending Him. If that is how He loved us when we still His enemy, should we not accept His love now that we are reaching out for Him, even imperfectly? John declares that 'perfect love drives out all fear.' The perfect love to which he alludes is not coming from us. It is God's love. 'We love,' he says, 'because God first loved us.'

Perhaps you are not dogged by guilt and/or shame, but many of us are. We conclude that in order to find approval and/or acceptance from others we need to do 'right' things. As little children, we observe that teachers like those students who never step out of line and who work hard to create neat papers. That looks like love, so we try to be good and get those A's! We learn that employers generally like employees that answer the call and go beyond the call of duty, so we show up a little early and stay late to secure our job. Conditional 'love' is all around us.

We drag that same sense of 'doing better to earn love' into our relationship with God, thinking that he's like our parent, our teacher, or our boss. He is not. His love is based in Himself, not in us. That's the wonder of grace as presented by the New Testament.

Paul writes about it to the Believers in Galatia. They had accepted the message of the Cross by faith, but quickly returned to religious duties and rituals as a means of experiencing God's love. Paul's pastoral heart was broken for he knew no one could do enough good things to earn God's favor. He had spent the first two decades of his life trying and then was found by the true love of Christ. He continued in the love of Christ, perfectly loved, though yet imperfect. Take a look at what he says to them ---

"Have some of you noticed that we are not yet perfect? (No great surprise, right?) ....
What actually took place is this: I tried keeping rules and working my head off to please God, and it didn’t work. So I quit being a “law man” so that I could be God’s man. Christ’s life showed me how, and enabled me to do it. I identified myself completely with him.
Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central.
It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me.
The life you see me living is not “mine,” but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (Galatians 2:17-20, The Message)

You are secure -- IN HIS LOVE -- so stay focused there.When you sin, and we all do, kneel at the Cross. Confess your failure, receive His grace, and grow on in grace.

Wonderful Cross --This arrangement -- Chris Tomlin

When I survey the wondrous cross,
On which the prince of glory died!
My richest gain I count but loss
And pour contempt on all my pride.

See, from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down;
Did e'er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown.

Oh the wonderful cross, oh the wonderful cross,
Bids me come and die and find that I may truly live!
Oh the wonderful cross, oh, the wonderful cross,
All who gather here, by grace draw near, and bless your name-

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small,
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my souls, my life, my all.
________________________

This Lord's Day I will be continuing our exploration of prayer.
I hope you are able to be in worship.
For our schedule of services and access to the church's weekly bulletin, please visit
www.WashingtonAG.net/service.htm