Don’t Give Us What We Deserve
There are times when we have knowingly done things that turns us away from God. He loves us, but we actively rebel. Surely we don’t deserve to approach God. Many people even ask God in prayer that He not give them what they deserve. We know the sin in our own lives, we know that God hates sin, and the wages of sin is death. We don’t want what we deserve because we don’t want to be punished.
The problem with this thinking is that we believe we are forgiven through our confession. If so, how long do we need to confess? We do something we know is wrong, and we don’t go to the source of our forgiveness because we feel we don’t deserve it.
When we finally do pray, we get stuck in guilt and shame slowing down our acceptance of God’s forgiveness. We believe we need to be in time out from God when God has what we need. We feel He’s mad at us, especially if it is something we have done many times before.
How Long Must We Confess Before We’re Forgiven?
You will never get yourself to a place where you are contrite enough to enter in God’s presence. If you are looking for the right amount of penitence, you will never get there. It is the Holy Spirit that convicts us of our sin. If we try to do it ourselves, it will only lead us away from God.
Go to God. If He wants you to confess something, allow Him to convict your heart. Then confess it and receive His forgiveness. Focus on His love covering over all your unrighteousness.
By His One Sacrifice We Are Forgiven
Think about Jesus on the cross. What was He doing there? Paying the penalty for our sins. Does He have to go again to the cross? No. He doesn’t have to again hang on the cross because His sacrifice was once and for all (1 Peter 3:18). All of the wages of sin were paid for; there is no more judgment left for us.
By that one sacrifice, He has made us all perfect forever (Hebrews 10:14). When we placed our lives in Christ, we exchanged our lives for His. All of the negative behaviors, thoughts, and attitudes were placed with Christ on the cross. They are forever taken care of. Therefore, we have no more fear of condemnation or judgment of sins (Romans 8:1). We can now boldly enter the throne room of God with confidence because we are now hidden in Christ (Hebrews 4:16).
What We Now Deserve
AND, all of the blessings that are for Christ are also bestowed on us. We are blessed in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3). Now then, what do we who are in Christ deserve? We deserve all rights and privileges that are set aside for the sons and daughters of promise. He who has given us His only Son, will He not also freely give us all things? (Romans 8:32)!!!
How much does this thought change how you approach God? We can come with confidence knowing that we have what we ask. Because of the great act of the cross, we now deserve everything Jesus died to give.
- Above screenshot from the Jesus Film