Forgiven

Well, I don't know about you but I would sometimes find myself feeling guilty because of something I might have done or said or even thought, Something that doesn't condemn me but doesn't reflect the presence of God in my life, at that moment. I would, once realizing that what I had done may have been displeasing to God, I would vow to ..."Never do that again." And then, later or sooner, I'd do it again. Once again, I'd become frustrated with myself, unhappy that I had "disappointing God" because I had broken my promise. I'd repeat the process again, and again, and...

Thankfully once I discovered the power of God's grace I learned that I (we) can never keep any promise to God when it is born out of guilt or condemnation. You see, the truth is that very often, if we are honest with ourselv

es, we want the feeling of condemnation to "go away" so that we can begin to, "work on" the needed change. We want a "cure" for the condemnation.

Thankfully, God, all along has provided that "cure" in the form of His grace. God has forgiven every sin, every slip up, everything. We aren't ever condemned and because of that we can change because of His love for us and, in turn, our love for Him. It is grace that gives us freedom from sin and it is grace that allows His love to mold us into His likeness.

Will we ever be perfect enough? Not while we are here but because He first loved us we can, through Jesus, experience the gift of His grace and the power of His unconditional love. A love that motivates and transforms us each and every day.

Romans 12