Do you find it hard to remember things that are true? I do!
Maybe you find it hard, as a believer in Christ, to remember the love and grace of God, in the mess and the muck of the everyday struggles? To remember the gift of the Lord’s presence in it all?
Slowly, slowly, something is clicking into place in my heart and mind, and I am trying to remember it.
Grace.
I’m a born again believer. I know I’m a sinner, and I believe Jesus died for me, that my sins are forgiven and I’m covered by Jesus’ righteousness (you can find out how that can be true of you too, here). That I’m a child of God. He loves me.
But I’m also a perfectionist with impossible expectations of myself.
And I think the Lord is trying to get something into my heart and mind.
That He looooooves me. That He’s with me. That my relationship with Him is based on what Jesus has done for me, not what I can do for Him.
Grace. Grace. Grace. Grace.
So often I think I need to perform perfectly, or I can’t experience His presence. I forget that Jesus has already done everything for me, and I can just receive it, and live in that reality. And there is grace when I forget, and I fail. I can just keep coming back to the truth, again and again and again.
He loves me. He is with me. I am forgiven because of Christ.
Sure, God wants me to be obedient, and faithful to Him. I know that a life of continual repentance is part of following Jesus! But my salvation is not dependent on my performance. And His love really does surround me.
Again and again lately, He has been reminding me of Psalm 103. Reminders of His heart of mercy and grace. Of love that removes my sins as far as from the east to the west. Of love as high as the skies.
‘For as the heavens are high above the earth,
So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;
As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.’ Psalm 103:11-12
I forget, again and again, but it’s true. My sins have been taken away, as far as the east from the west. I am surrounded by His love. His heart for me is mercy, and grace, and a Father’s compassion.
And believing that doesn’t make me want to sin. It makes me love Him more, and delight in His goodness, and want to please Him. It makes me remember that He is good, and He loves me.
I don’t need to live in unrealistic perfectionism, but I can breathe in the constant reality of a Father’s love, because of the blood of Jesus my Saviour, who died to make me clean and set me free.
Who loves me. Who is with me, surrounding with His grace. Right now. And now. And now. With so, soooo much love.
Grace. Grace. Grace. Grace.
Caroline Abblitt 