The very moment we’ve done something wrong, our consciousness shifts into guilt and condemnation that at times results to being hard on ourselves.  A guilty person always has the gesture of looking down or turning his head or body away.  He or she avoids making eye contact.  It produces low self esteem that sometimes leads to isolating oneself.

BUT, when we believe the Lord  Jesus Christ, Who shed His blood for you and me and made us RIGHTEOUS before Him NOT BY OUR OWN ABILITY but by grace through faith, our confidence to come boldly before Him rises up.  People may not forgive us right away BUT God does.  In truth, He already forgave us 2000 years ago at the Cross.

I’ve always had this word “FORGIVE” in my own vocabulary.   FOR is “fore” meaning earlier or beforehand and “GIVE” meaning to grant, to bestow.   That means He already  granted us His forgiveness before we even did anything wrong ALL BECAUSE OF HIS LOVE for us.  He paid everything by His Blood.

 

“But God showed His GREAT LOVE for us by sending Christ to die for us WHILE WE WERE STILL SINNERS.  And since we have been MADE RIGHT in God’s sight by the Blood of Christ, He will certainly save us from GOD’S CONDEMNATION.”  (Romans 5:8 NLT)

HIS LOVE melts our guilt and condemnation away.  His Word says .. “as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103:12)  “I, even I, am He Who blots out and cancels your transgressions, for My own sake, and I WILL NOT REMEMBER YOUR SINS.” (Isaiah 43:25).  Jesus came NOT TO CONDEMN BUT TO SAVE!  HIS LOVE restores our confidence and woos us back into His Presence.  And in the process of restoration, He begins TO LIFT OUR HEADS and whispers to our ears … “it’s okay, My beloved.  COME and look at Me.”

Him being the lifter of our heads is not just to literally lift our heads.  You and I are created for intimacy with Jesus.  I believe the very reason why He lifts our heads is because He desires to look into our eyes and assures us that ALL IS WELL.  When our eyes get locked into His, who can resist the beauty of His love.  His love is steadfast and enduring that no amount of mistake that we’ve done is greater than what the Blood of Jesus has paid for.

 

A lot of people think that the grace of God gives us the license to sin BUT  think again!  As we yield ourselves and be immersed in the love of God, such immersion changes our hearts to beat in rhythm like His.  Just as a slice of meat marinated in a special marinade, after being soaked for hours, the marinade changes the smell of the meat that when it’s cooked it smells like it.  That’s the same way with us.  The more we spend time in His presence, beholding His beauty, soaked in His love, HIS LOVE CHANGES US.

“For sin shall NOT [any longer] exert dominion over you, since now you are not under law [as slaves], but UNDER GRACE [as subjects of GOD’S FAVOR and MERCY].”  Romans 6:14 (Amp)