You Are Perfect to God
Am I enough? Am I acceptable to God? Am I a disappointment to the One who created me? Or am I a blessing to His heart?
It can’t be both. It has to be one or the other. Yet sadly, because of the trust we put in ourselves, we think we are a disappointment to God. “Cursed is the strong one who depends on mere humans, who thinks he can make it on muscle alone and sets God aside as dead weight.” (Jeremiah 17:5 MSG)
We’re so afraid of failure. I don’t know if it’s the American society that demands performance (job, sports, keeping up with the Jones’, etc) or if it’s just the absolute deception of the devil, but we are utterly convinced that the gospel is dependent on our performance. It’s exactly and precisely why we are always up and down in our emotions. And it’s the underlying reason why our generation suffers from anxiety and depression.
Can you imagine living life like it’s all on your performance to be worthy enough for God Almighty? That’s a lot of freakin pressure…which creates a lot of freakin anxiety. And the moment you feel like you have fallen short, that’s a lot of freakin depression.
Who will rescue us from this cycle of insanity? Praise be to God, who has provided His Son as a sacrifice to make us perfectly acceptable to God! Both now and forevermore!
The blood of Jesus is real power. Real true power to break us out of the cycle. Christ took upon Himself the performance-based curse of the law and offered us the free gift of righteousness through faith — through simply believing it’s already true through the cross (see Galatians 3:13-14; Romans 7:4; and just about all of Paul’s letters.)
We need to pay attention to how believers have been deceived over the millennia, starting right within a church that the apostle Paul himself planted. The Christians in Galatia had heard this gospel of righteousness by faith, but then they thought they had to finish the job on their own (see Galatians 3:1-3). They thought, “Yes, Christ died to make us righteous and now we are “in” God’s family, but now it’s up to us to keep up the work.” When Paul got wind of this, he was extremely upset. He called it idiotic nonsense. In one translation, he even addresses the members of this church as “dear idiots.” And yet, despite his passion to fight against this from the start, the church still experiences this same exact deception today!
Christ is our ongoing Mediator. He lives to continue to make intercession for us! He is continually our good news, making us perfect in God’s eyes. The reality is that you and I are one with Christ. You are not a sinner in God’s eyes. Christ is in you. Christ is never going to leave you or forsake you. His work will continue to ensure your perfect righteousness before God forever. The Father is smiling over you because you and His Son are married!
“For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.”
(Hebrews 10:14)
Perfected. Other translations say “made perfect.” This is what the word righteousness means. It means “as you ought to be.” There is nothing wrong with you. You are flawless in His eyes. Embrace this reality. Why do you think you have the power to condemn yourself in a way that God isn’t condemning you? Do not be prideful. God calls you perfect and righteous. Accept it and sing “Hallelujah to the Lamb!”
Amen.
Have a nice day.