image courtesy of interrobang
How long do you have to confess and feel the guilt of your sin before you feel accepted? We all know this feeling of uncleanliness before the Lord. It’s that “yuck” feeling that’s a mixture of shame and disgust. We instinctively feel that we need to get ourselves right before we can go to God in prayer. Is this from God? If it is, when are we ready to appear before Him?
I was thinking this the other day in regards to the way approach sharing our faith. Too much of it comes across as stop sinning so that God can love you. It’s like God’s holiness keeps his affection for us in check. As if is in heaven God saying if I can just clean this person up there is someone in there I can love.
Sin still has a powerful effect in the world, but we have mis-applied where the issue belongs. When we sin it makes us feel separated from God because we no longer live up to His holiness. Our separation causes us to either hide our mess or ourselves from God. Although we may feel this way, when we sin God does not see it on those of us hidden in Christ. The wages of that sin has been paid.
Allow people to come to Jesus. The cross is more than sufficient for anything they bring with them. He knows if they are sleeping around, stealing from their company, or looking at porn. That doesn’t stop Him from loving them.
As parents we send our kids to their room when they’re bad because we believe that sin requires separation. That is not true. Sin causes separation. Our kids feel it when they are aware of doing something wrong. They hide. They look down. The become unsure. Our goal as parents is to bring them back into fellowship. Our goal in witnessing is to bring people back into fellowship with God.
God is not pushing people away because of their sin. He wants to wrap them in His arms and wipe away every tear. Jesus said that kingdom of heaven is like a man who had two sons. You know the story. The younger son comes back from his raucous life ready to give his father confession and penance. The father cuts in and lavishly loves his son.
We must remove our view that we have to deal with our sin in order to receive God’s love. It is only in His presence that we can even know His love to stop sinning. His presence heals the areas of our heart to causes us to sin. We don’t go to the doctor only after we have proven we can get well. It is by his kind direction that we are enabled to find healing.
Stop giving power to sin. It no longer has any power to keep us from God. The only power it has is in our minds. Renew your mind and walk in the Spirit. Nothing can ever separate you from the love of God.