Not as Our Folly Deserves

"Therefore, [Jesus] is always able to save those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede for them" (Heb. 7:25, HCSB).

I was reminded of this truth as I finished the book of Job today. Job's friends are ordered by God to take a sacrifice to Job, which he would offer up on their behalf with prayer. God told them, "Now take seven bulls and seven rams, go to My servant Job, and offer a burnt offering for yourselves. Then My servant Job will pray for you. I will surely accept his prayer and not deal with you as your folly deserves. For you have not spoken the truth about Me, as My servant Job has" (Job 42:8, HCSB).

As this verse seems to indicate, Job points to the work of Christ. As intercessor, Job would mediate between his friends and God. It was not a role assumed by Job, but one appointed to him. If his friends obeyed the Lord, Job would then pray for them. If Job prayed for them, then God would forgive them.

Forgiveness is defined with a beautiful word picture in Job 42:8. God says, "I . . . will not deal with you as your folly deserves." Stop. Reread that description. Let it bounce around in your head a few times. Say it out loud. Repeat it. Allow your heart to open to it and let it in.

How many times have you wished your foolishness would be overlooked by the Lord? If you are like me, it is probably as many as acts of foolishness of which you are aware.

How do we find such forgiveness? Bulls and Rams? No, the blood of bulls and goats could get the job done (see Hebrews 10:4). We need someone to mediate for us. Paul tells us, "For there is one God and one mediator between God and humanity, Christ Jesus, himself human" (1 Tim. 2:5, HCSB). The author of Hebrews reminds us that Jesus is both our priest and sacrifice (see Hebrews 9:12-10:14).

In essence, we live because we were obedient to the Word and trusted Christ, and now he intercedes on our behalf. Because Jesus intercedes for us, the Father will not treat us as our folly deserves. What a precious promise that is.

A Cry for Mercy

Psalm 130:1-8 paints a disturbing, yet beautiful picture. It is disturbing because it captures the anguish of a man who feels cut off from God, possibly because of his sin. It beautiful because it reminds us that God's grace is greater than our sin. The psalmist reminds us to trust the Lord for forgiveness and redemption.

In Psalm 130:1-4, The Psalmist opens with a cry for help. The tone is set by his depiction of his plight. He is crying out of the depths. He is overwhelmed, and earnest in his pleas. He feels God isn't paying attention to him. He needs mercy. He feels the weight of his sin and how it threatens to separate him from God. Yet he knows God is merciful, and worthy of reverence.

After calling out to God, the Psalmist commits himself to trust the Lord. He is willing to wait upon the Lord. But this is no passive waiting. His waiting is rooted in a continued trust in God's Word. I imagine him pouring over the Word daily, claiming promises, and awaiting God's deliverance. He is vigilant like a watchman waiting for God to break over the horizon like the sun at dawn.

He is not content to wait alone. No, he calls others to follow him. Although God has not arrived, he still wants others to follow him. One may wonder: Why trust God? The Psalmist offers two reasons. The first is unfailing love. God's lover never fails. God loved humanity so much that he sent Christ to ransom them. The second reason is full redemption. God saves to the uttermost. Those who trust him will be saved from all their sins.

Where are you in your walk? Do you feel cut off from God? Why not commit to trust him? The Psalmist is calling you to follow him in committing to the Lord. Why not accept the forgiveness promised through Christ?

Forgiving in Perspective

What does it mean to forgive? When we forgive, we release the guilt of another. We cease to judge them for the offense, pain, or injury they have caused us. In Matthew 18:23-35, Jesus teaches us that forgiveness is the only right response to the grace of God. In one sense, forgiving isn't forgetting. Apart from disease, toxins, or trauma, there aren't many ways to erase a memory from the brain. In another sense, forgiving is forgetting. It is forgetting in the sense that we don't dwell on incident, and we don't wield another's past crimes as a weapon against them.

Jesus tells a parable about a slave who owes his master an unimaginable amount of money, yet has no way to repay it. When his account is called due, he begs for mercy. Mercy, beyond his dreams, is what he receives. He celebrates his good fortune by accosting a man who owes him money, and has the poor fellow tossed in prison when he can't pay. When the first slave's master hears of his cruelty, he revokes his mercy and tosses him into prison.

Here are some things this passage teaches us:

God would be totally just to condemn the entire human race to hell. We have all broken his law, and disobeyed his will. We are all deserving of death. Yet, God in his mercy has shown us grace. Grace is unmerited favor. Unmerited means it isn't because we deserve it. Just as the king had a right to sell of his slave to recoup his losses, God could have easily discarded us, but he didn't. He extended mercy to us.

When we receive the grace of God, it should evidence itself in a changed heart. The first servant in this parable was some piece of work. In spite of his master's grace, he himself had none to spare. He never paused to think of the magnitude of the gift he was given. He was a violent and wicked man.

Live the golden rule. This man got in trouble because he failed to treat others in the way he wished to be treated. He wanted to receive mercy, but he didn't want to give any. If we want grace, we need to extend grace to others.

Nothing has been done to you, that is greater to (or equal to) what has been done for you. The worst act in human history would be the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. In that act, we see the depth of depravity of which mankind is capable. However, God did not condemn mankind because of the cross. No, he determined to save mankind through the cross. The pains and offenses we face in our lives don't compare to the cross.

You reap what you sow. Matthew 18:35 isn't suggesting salvation by works. It is expressing another truth, the truth that a man reaps what he sows. God isn't fooled by the attempts of some people to fake remorse. He knows the heart. The heart that refuses to forgive has never experienced God's forgiveness. Forgiveness is a mandate. As we forgive, we walk in the footsteps of our Heavenly Father and our brother, Jesus Christ. It puts forgiving in perspective.

A Different Approach

How do you forgive someone when they betray you? When they hurt you? Or do any number of hurtful things to you? These questions aren't easy to answer. We know the biblical answer is to forgive, but how do we accomplish it? I'm still searching for the definitive answer, but I think we can come at it from a different approach.

We need to approach the process of forgiveness by being rooted in our identity. In Colossians 3:12-14, Paul sets a standard for church which is helpful for us as followers of Christ. The standard says, recognize who you are and live accordingly.

Colossians 3:12 describes us as a "chosen people," "holy," and "dearly loved." The expression, "chosen" tends to make many Christians bristle. They don't like the thought of election (predestination), because they think it violates human freedom and smacks of unfairness. However, the Bible teaches that God chose a people for himself, and that we, as Christ's followers, are chosen by God.

Election shouldn't freak us out. It should encourage us. It means that God knew us before he formed us, that he loved us before he made us, that he has a purpose for our existence, and that he has numbered our days. It means God picked us, but not because we were special or perfect or impressive. He picked us because he loved us, he pursued us because he picked us, and he set us apart for his special purposes.

He has made us holy. Holy, in this context, refers to us being set apart. We are God's special possession. He delights in us. We are objects of his love. In fact, Paul says we are dearly loved. Let that sink in. God love you dearly.

We are told to approach forgiveness in the right "garments." Like the Joseph, in the Old Testament, we are given a "coat of many colors.' His was a robe that expressed his Father's delight in him. Ours is a character that reflects our Father's character. We are to clothe ourselves in compassion, kindness, gentleness, humility, and patience. In short, we are to treat others as God has treated us.

In Colossians 3:13, we are told to bear with and forgive those who hurt us. We are called to endure the grating personalities of others, and meet them with grace. We are to forgive "whatever grievances" we might have, and we are to forgive as the Lord forgave us. It is a complete, reconciling forgiveness.

The thread that holds it all together is love. Colossians 3:14, tells us to cover over all our other qualities with love. It is the bond for perfect peace. The walk of love is a different approach, but it is the only one that will lead to lasting peace.

How has forgiveness transformed your life? If it hasn't already, are you willing to let it transform you life now?

Why Wait?

Doubt not

his willingness to save you, 

because you are a sinner.

It is Christ's office to save sinners.

He says of himself,

"I came not to call the righteous,

but sinners to repentance" (Luke 5:32)

J.C. Ryle, A Call to Prayer

De-grudged--Letting Go of What Others Have Long Forgotten

What is the longest you have ever held a grudge?  In times past, I have been known to nurse a grudge or two.  I was thinking about my propensity toward obsessing over small things.  I began to search my memory banks to see how much time I have wasted being petty.  Unfortunately, the initial research proved to be too overwhelming.  I had to forget the project, because apparently I have struggled with  pettiness for a long time.

Whenever I think about grudges, I always remember a certain person who borrowed a dollar from me in the third grade.  I'll call them "student x."  All through middle school and high school,  I couldn't stand student x.  I couldn't get that dollar out of my mind.  After we graduated high school, I thought about less and less, because student x wasn't there to remind me.  As  time when by, I assumed I had forgotten about it, because I thought about it less.  But I was wrong.  That feeling of betrayal sat silently in the cold darkness of my heart, like some forgotten leftovers pushed to the back of the refrigerator, waiting for some curious onlooker to uncover its moldy foulness.

Eventually, the light of the Lord dawned upon my heart, and challenged my feelings for vengeance.  My transgression against the Lord was greater than student x's failure to pay back that dollar.  My debt was greater than I could ever repay.  I had sinned against a holy God, and instead of holding a grudge he offered me forgiveness.

So, in time and by God's grace, I learned to forgive student x.  Although I think about that dollar from time to time, I no longer hold a grudge.  That debt has been forgiven.  So student x, (you know who you are), I just wanted you to know, I forgive you.  Let's forget about that dollar (because I know you already have).

Student x the next time I see you at the mall, I won't avoid contact and dodge into a store just to keep you from recognizing me.   I won't wonder who your borrowed the money from to buy that $150 purse.  I won't entertain the notion that you are spending your rent check while coming up with some sob story to tell your landlord.

If I see you stranded on the side of the road, I won't drive by with a smile on my face.  I won't laugh at the delicious sense of poetic justice, because that would be wrong.  I might even stop and see if you need any assistance (but I probably won't lend you money).  This time, if you need it, I'll give it to you-no strings attached.

God in his graciousness has truly blessed me.  He has forgiven me of much, and therefore, much forgiveness is required.  Your debt has been paid, and I don't just mean the dollar.  I mean that all of us, every human being, has an outstanding sin debt to the Lord that has been paid for with the blood of Christ.  If you will seek forgiveness by trusting him, you will find forgiveness and cleansing from all your sin.

Maybe you'll never see this post.  Maybe you don't have clue what I'm talking about, because you don't remember borrowing a dollar in the third grade.  But forgetting isn't the same thing as being forgiven, and forgiveness isn't the same thing as forgetness.  Willie Nelson was right, "Forgiving you is easy, but forgetting seems to take the longest time."

So the next time I tempted to think about that dollar, I'll remember the words of Jesus, "For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses" (Matt. 6:14-15, ESV).  Then, I'll remind myself that your trespass has been forgiven, because my soul is worth more than a buck.  And so is yours.

I hope and pray that those of you reading this will find yourselves ready to de-grudge, and find forgiveness and healing through giving forgiveness.  How long have you held that grudge?  And who is that has been hurt the most by it?  Student x probably forgot that dollar before a week went by, but I lost a friend (and a little bit of my friendliness).  Life's too short to hold onto a grudge.  Aren't you ready to let it go?  Let me hear from you.

To Forgive, or Not to Forgive

Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/flikr/45457114/in/photostream/

Sometimes I feel like an onion--all wrapped up in layers.  It's kind of like when Shrek tries to explain life as an ogre to Donkey. Ogres have layers; onions have layers.  People have layers, too (and so does cake).

Have you ever been in a situation where it feels like all your layers have been pulled back, and you have nothing left to offer?  Maybe you have had all of the more pleasant layers pulled back and all that is left is the anger layer?  You feel tense.  Your ready for a fight.  You can just see a certain person, and your blood pressure starts to rocket.  Does that sound like your experience?

If you find yourself peeled back to the anger layer, you are serious trouble.  It means that you a flirting with unforgiveness.  Actually, it is more than flirting, you're, most likely, married to it.  The grudge you are nursing against that particular individual or group or place delights you in some way.  As you nurture your anger, it deceives you into believing that you are empowered by it.

But the person most injured by your anger is not the other person.  It's you.  Once, I passed a sign that read, "Being angry with someone else is like drinking poison and waiting for them to die."  I believed it then, and I still believe it.  However, that doesn't mean I always practice it.

My default mode, when wounded, is to retreat to anger.  If a person hurts me emotionally or otherwise (intentionally or unintentionally), I get mad.  In fact, when I get physically injured, my first reaction is usually anger.  I'm hardwired that way I guess.  Although, I am not trying to excuse it.  Harboring anger in our hearts is a dangerous thing.  Anger kills.  Haven't you ever heard of a crime of passion?

When I am not careful, I find myself nursing anger in my heart.  The wound doesn't have to be life threating to trigger my anger.  It can be a real or perceived slight.  I don't want to come off sounding like a hothead.  I can take a lot before I reach my boiling point, but when I do it is hard for me to simmer down.

James warns, "the anger of man does not produce the righteousness God requires" (James 1:20).  Instead we are to cultivate meekness.  We should be gentle of heart.  As believers in Christ, we are the recipients  of tremendous grace.  We are freely forgiven of our treason against God, and adopted into his family.  We are all sinners in need of grace.  We all acted in terrible ways toward our holy and merciful God, yet, in love, he offered us peace and fellowship.

In light of this reality, we should seek to extend the same courtesy to those who have offended us.  We should meet their hurtful ways with loving concern.  We should offer them forgiveness, free and without condition.  We should extend to them grace.  You might say, "Wait a minute.  They don't deserve my forgiveness!"  To which, I would respond, "Duh. That is why we call it 'grace.'"  Grace cannot be earned.

When we fail to forgive it reflects a heart that does not understand grace.  Most often, a heart does not understand grace, because it believes itself to have sufficient merit to earn God's favor.  The owner of an unforgiving heart is the slave of a proud heart.

More importantly, when we fail to forgive we come under God's judgment.  Jesus warns, "For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses" (Matt. 6:14-15).  You may be saying, "But wait, isn't that works salvation?".  It might sound that way, if we take it out of it's context.  This quote comes from Matthew 5-7, often called the Sermon on the Mount.  The sermon instructs those who follow Jesus to start off by acknowledging their spiritual poverty.  They must realize that they have no righteousness of their own; they must trust God to provide it.

As recipients of God's grace, they should be quick to dispense grace.  Who can swim in the sea of forgiveness, and begrudge someone else such joy?  Only those who have never truly experienced the liberating joy of forgiveness can continually refuse to extend forgiveness to others.  This is the truth Jesus is trying to communicate with his warning.  To be forgiven is to be forgiving; to be unforgiving is to be unforgiven.

What do we do when we find ourselves unwilling to forgive?

• We need to assess the state of our heart.  Have we turned from our sin, to the living God, through Jesus Christ? If no, we need to repent and place our faith in Christ, and then ask him for the strength to forgive.  If yes, then we need to repent of our hardheartedness.  

• We need to mediate on the grace that saves us.  God was super-abundantly gracious toward us.  We have to spend time (lots of time) carefully thinking about God's grace, as revealed in Jesus.  

• We have to remind ourselves (repeatedly) that we are sinners who wound others.  By walking in their shoes, we help to prevent our heart from growing prideful.

• We need to do things to show them we love them even when we don't "feel" like it.  The kind of love that pleases God is not primarily an emotion.  It is action oriented.  Show kindness to your (former) "enemies."  When you do, you're imitating God.

If we will honor the Lord in this way, we can be sure that the Spirit is going to peel back the anger layer, and reveal a tender, merciful layer.  That's the Jesus layer.  Has the Jesus layer been revealed in you, yet?  What are some of the ways you overcome unforgivenness?

Thank God There Is No Rewind Button on Life

Have you ever wished there was a rewind button in life?  You might be thinking of a particular day at this very moment.  You might even be tempted to think that pressing the rewind button would give you a fresh start.  However, pressing the rewind button would only give you the opportunity to mess up again.

The better approach to life is to find the reset attitude button and to push it frequently.  We don't need to the opportunity to avoid mistakes.  We need the ability to learn from those mistakes.

This past weekend, I made a comment about being glad when the weekend would be over, to which a neighbor said, "You're wishing your life away."  Those words have played upon my mind for days.

This morning we had a couple of unforeseen, and somewhat unpleasant, events happen.  As the dust began to settle, I said, "I wish I could hit the rewind button."  I let the words fly from my lips like an arrow without much thought.  Yet, latter I found that these words also represent a "wishing away."

I was wishing away a providence I didn't deem wise or caring.  I was wishing away the opportunity to grow in mercy and compassion.  I was wishing away an opportunity to serve. 

Events that make us want to rewind the clock can teach us many things.  First, and foremost, plan wisely and stick to the plan.  It takes discipline, but it also eliminates many of the mistakes we wish we would not have made.  Secondly, give thought to your words, and password protect your mouth.  Don't give free reign to your tongue, it will only come back to bite you.  Thirdly, don't waste your life wallowing in regret, repent and move on.  Life is too short to waste it looking back on mistakes.  Christ is gracious and invites you to come to him and find cleansing.  Fourthly, God allows it to rain on the just and unjust.  Stuff happens, learn to praise him in the midst of it.  Finally, God is infinitely trustworthy, cling to him. 

If we keep these lessons in mind, we will find it gets easier to reset our attitudes.  When life comes at you, you have the choice in how you will respond.  You can let it beat you down or you can let it make you wiser, stronger, and more effective.  Stop reaching for the rewind button, and thank God he is in control.

Is Your Heart Pure?

"Who can say, 'I have made my heart pure; I am clean from my sin?'" (Prov. 20:9, ESV).

The common sense answer to this question is no one can say they have made their heart pure.  We have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God (see Rom. 3:23).  When we check the shape of our heart against the law of the Lord, we see how far we fall short.  If we deny the sin in our lives, we live in the greatest kind of delusion (see 1 John 1:8).

We need someone to make our hearts pure.  We need someone to cleanse us from our sins.  That someone is Jesus Christ our Lord.  When we come to faith in Christ we find cleansing and forgiveness.  Romans 8:1 states, "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."  First John 1:9 states, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

How do we respond to the question?  Is your heart pure? Are you clean from sin?  If not, put your faith in Jesus Christ and he will cleanse you from your sin.  He will also give you a heart to follow him.

Seeking Forgiveness

"Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths.  Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.  Remember your mercy, O Lord, and your steadfast love, for they have been from old.  Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for the sake of your goodness, O Lord" (Ps. 25:4-7, ESV).

Sometimes the simplest expressions make the most profound impact.  Here David is expressing his longing for the mercy of God.  If the Lord remembered (in order to punish) the sins of his people, they would be consumed by his rage.  However, in his steadfast love he prepared a way for their forgiveness through the death and resurrection of his Son, Jesus the Christ.

David expresses a universal reality that we are all in need of instruction from God.  If we are to find God, he must reveal himself to us.  If we are to live a way that pleases him, it is his power that must manifest itself in us.  David's terms are very personal, "Make me to know your ways," and "Teach me your paths."  David's heart is fearing the sin within it.

This psalm is filled with confession.  It expresses guilt and anxiety over sin.  It drips with faith--ripe, full, and wounded.  It is a faith wounded by its own stumbling.  I do not know what David had been through prior to writing this psalm, but he obviously wanted forgiveness.  And David knew exactly where to find it.  He ran to the Lord.

David does not lay out a list of righteous acts which has a performed and ask God to remember them.  He does not lay charges against his enemies, he merely acknowledges that they are many and fierce. What he asks is for instruction, mercy, and forgiveness.

This can be a reminder for us.  In our sin, we need to turn to the Lord and seek forgiveness.  We need to confess our sins to him, and seek cleansing.  He is faith and just to forgive us of our sins, and to cleanse us of all unrighteousness (see 1 Jn. 1:9).  If we trust him to forgive us, through Jesus Christ the Son, then we will be cleansed by his grace and for his glory.

What Did I Do?

Do you ever have the feeling you have done something or said something that hurt someone, but you don't know what you did or how to make it better? Maybe it is the awkward silence that settles between you as you attempt a conversation. Maybe it is an icy stare. Maybe they refuse to acknowledge you when you greet them. Sometimes, you can't put your finger on it, but you know something isn't right. What do you do?

If you're like me you let it eat at you like a stomach full of worms--gnawing and biting, wriggling and crawling. You let it keep you up late and get you up early. You might even complain about it to someone, if you can find a sympathetic ear. But, what would God have you do?

1. It may seem trite, but we have to start with prayer. We have to seek God's wisdom in the matter. Remember he give wisdom liberally to all who ask without doubting. Specifically, we need to know if and where we erred. A wound, received or perceived, is still a wound. We need to take accountability for our actions, attitudes, and words.

2. If the Lord reveals something to us that we did or said-we shouldn't seek to defend it or explain it away. We must confess it to him. We should ask him to forgive us for wounding (intentionally or unintentionally) that person.

Then we need to ask him to begin working in their heart to bring about reconciliation. Ask him to pave the way for forgiveness and healing in their hearts. Ask for a restored relationship.

3. Then ask for an open door to ask that person's forgiveness. Ask the Lord for the humility to acknowledge your sin (you confessed it to him, you should be able to confess it to others). Ask him for the boldness to approach the offended party (with humility) and ask for their forgiveness.

4. Then walk through that door (with humility and boldness) when it opens. Ask their forgiveness, without defending yourself or rationalizing away what happened. If you have sought forgiveness from God, through Christ, and earnestly seek forgiveness from the offended person, then you have done all you can do. You can have confidence that God has forgiven you, but the person's response isn't your responsibility. Once you have confessed your sin and sought forgiveness, it is there responsibility to respond in grace and forgive.

5. Finally, I want to offer a word of caution concerning resentment. If at any moment during this process you think or feel that you shouldn't have to ask for forgiveness, you need to go back to the repentance stage. The real problem in a situation like this is pride flare-up. We all make mistakes. We are all capable of hurting someone unintentionally. It's part and parcel of the human condition. We often sin without even knowing it. But, our goal as believer is to bring glory to Christ. We all know he didn't do anything wrong, yet he was willing to die so that we might be forgiven. To paraphrase Paul, "It is better to be wronged, than to pursue your rights and dishonor God."

If you still can't get over feeling that you haven't done anything wrong, and get angry when you think about asking for forgiveness, then don't waste your time asking for forgiveness. God won't grant it and neither will anybody else. Were I stuck in a position like this, I would meditate on my sinfulness and the price paid for my forgiveness. I would pray that God will reveal the depth of my sin and teach me to see it as he sees it. When that prayer was positively answered, I would then pray that he teach me to love others as he loves them.

Have You Been to Jesus for Cleansing Power?

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our our sins and to cleanse us of all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9, ESV)

A friend stopped by this morning to help us clean the carpets before Sophia comes home. I had know for some time that the carpets were getting dingy, but until I began moving furniture this morning I didn't realize just how dingy. I have vacuumed them a couple of times over the past week and a half and had pretreated some of the stains, but we still had to vacuum the floors twice today to get them ready for cleaning. I went through the house pretreating spots again. Then it was time to begin. As my friend began running the carpet cleaner over the carpet, I began watch the transformation. The low traffic spots (like under the couch) looked brand new after just one pass of the machine.

However, the high traffic and very dingy areas seemed unaffected by the efforts of the machine. The first pass only made them look dingy and wet. Yet, with each subsequent pass and my friend's vigilant care the grime began to fade. Our carpet, once more spotted than a leopard, began to resemble its former soft cream color. The moral to this story is: buy dark carpet-it shows less dirt.

Actually, what really hit me is the parallel between a dingy carpet and a dingy life. Living has a funny way of tracking dirt throughout the houses of our lives. The Bible calls this dirt sin. Sin is when we break God's law (see Exodus 20; Duet 5) by doing what we shouldn't or not doing what we should. Respectively, these are called sins of commission and sins of omission. These sins have separated us from God. They have made us dingy in his sight. And each day our lives accumulate more dirt. The good news is that God, who is holy (think dirt free/clean) and just (flawless/perfect) has provided a way for our sins to be cleansed. God said that all sin must be punished by death. In his great love and great justice, God sent his Son, Jesus, to be a substitute for us. Jesus lived a sinless life that pleased his Father very much and willingly offered to die in our place for our sins. So that, now if we believe that he is the eternal Son of God, who took on flesh, lived a sinless life, died in our place, and was raised to life again on the third day we will have all our sins cleansed.

After we have our sins forgiven the Lord begins the process of transforming us. We call this process sanctification, which means being made holy (set apart/clean). Through justification (God's gracious acquittal of our sins), we receive a positional holiness. God views us, in Christ, as holy. However, our experience teaches us that we are not yet (completely) holy. Many Bible scholars refer to this tension as the already-not yet. In one sense we are already holy, but in another sense we are not yet fully holy, so we await the resurrection when our holiness is made complete. This takes me back to my carpet analogy. When we turn to Jesus, he drops into our lives and begins to the cleansing process. In the less trafficked areas we look pretty clean. But, in those areas where there was the heavy traffic of sin, the first past may leave us looking dingy and wet. However the vigilant care of our friend Jesus will continue to go over those spots until our lives are as clean as his. Much like a carpet our lives will need perpetual cleaning, because something is always getting tracked in. Unlike the carpet our lives won't eventually get discarded, because the Lord preserves them as he cleans. And one day he will finish the task (glorification) and our lives will never be stained again.

I want to thank my friend for cleaning my carpets. Your hard work and service is greatly appreciated. And I want Jesus for cleaning my my life. His gracious sacrifice has brought me to God. Thank you, Lord Jesus.