You're So Loved
John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
If you have a bible accessible to you now, sister, please go get it. Open it to Romans 8. Can't find Romans? Use your Table of Contents in the very front, that's what I do! Don't have a Bible? Google says other wise.
Take a moment to ask God to reveal his love for you, beloved sister, in this space,
then read it for it's entirety. This one chapter. And finally, return here to finish this post:
Romans 8
4 He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.
34 who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.
Who will TRY to condemn you? The Enemy. Satan. The Devil. He "prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8)"
Note the active phrasing of verse 34. Q: Have you ever wondered "where is Jesus now? What, if anything, is he even doing?" A: Jesus is ALIVE! Praise God that Easter is about more than bunnies and eggs. The tomb was empty! Jesus "is sitting in the place of honor at God's R hand, pleading for" YOU, sister. NOW.
Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love, sister?
37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.
How did Christ love us? By WILLINGLY dying for us. One of the lies that the Deceiver tripped me up with as an immature believer was: God canNOT be good. At all. HOW COULD a good God. An almighty God. Kill his own child? {{Remember that just like our sister EVE in EDEN, the Father of Lies attempts to make us doubt that God is who he says he is. So how is a satisfied sister ever to fight back against such a subtle opponent? By wielding her weapon, the Sword of the Spirit (aka your BIBLE, sisters!), well. By seeking truth in God's word, fellowshipping with other believers, and turning her eyes to Jesus in prayer. Just as God "rained down manna for the people to eat (Psalm 78:24, Exodus 16)" he has given us His Word for our DAILY BREAD. Jesus, alone, truly satisfies. In Hebrews 12:2 I learned that God did not kill Jesus, but in fact it was "for the joy set before him he endured the cross".
38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love.
39 indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Another trap that The Enemy used (and continues to try to use) to keep me from victorious living (read: fruitful/HELPFUL TO OTHERS) in Christ Jesus is the bondage that comes from the cycle of shame. I allowed my image of self, my self image, specifically my body image, to be SHAPED AND WARPED BY OUR FALLEN WORLD. We're talking years of self-loathing, mental preoccupation and an unhealthy relationship with food, hiding, secrets, feelings of hopelessness, endless efforts towards "self help", +
If the following lyrics resonate with you, you may know a thing or two about what I'm talking about:
You see whole
I see broken
But You see beautiful
And You're helping me to believe
You're restoring me piece by piece
That You can't make worthy
You wash me in mercy
I am clean
SHAME ={Self.Hatred.At.My.Expense}. I believe that God made us to NEVER KNOW SHAME. Shame is the one emotion that God INTENTIONALLY TELLS us in Genesis 2:25 that He made us to not know. Adam and Eve "were both naked and were not ashamed." Without sin, they had nothing to hide. Nothing separated them from God. The serpent being shrewd, cunning, crafty and subtle, shouts at me in my head with the hisssssss of ACCUSATION. I have learned (and continue to practice) to recognize his condemning voice and I choose (with God's help) not to enter into conversations with The Devil.
SHAME OFF YOU, sister.
8 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.
you belong to Jesus.
now what? BE LOVED by Jesus.
WORSHIP YOUR CREATOR WITH YOUR LIFE BY LIVING THIS TRUTH OUT. DANCE THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF YOUR TIME ON EARTH AS IF YOU TRULY ARE LOVED BY THE KING OF KINGS. BY GOD'S POWER AND GRACE, ALONE, LIVE AS A DOER OF HIS WORD.
WHEN THE WORLD/BOYFRIEND/CULTURE/+ TELLS YOU THAT YOU ARE ___[insert anything less than fully known and fully loved by A GOOD GOOD FATHER here. ] e.g. too shameful. too ugly. too sinful. too dirty. too stupid. too +++_____ RECOGNIZE THAT FOR THE LIE THAT IT IS, "take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5) , AND SPEAK YOUR DADDY'S TRUTH OVER YOURSELF. ASK FOR HELP. ASK A SISTER OR BROTHER TO PRAY WITH YOU OR FOR YOU. ASK THEM TO SPEAK LIFE INTO YOUR CIRCUMSTANCE. TO SHINE THE LIGHT OF JESUS INTO YOUR EXPERIENCE OF IT.
SISTER: YOU ARE THE KING'S DAUGHTER. KNIT TOGETHER. BY HIM. WONDERFULLY MADE. IN HIS IMAGE. FOR HIS GLORY. YOU ARE A DISPLAY OF HIS SPLENDOR. HE IS FOR YOU. YOU ARE LOVED. THERE IS NOW NO CONDEMNATION. YOU ARE CHOSEN. TODAY. DESIRED. NOW. ALWAYS & FOREVER. YOU ARE AN ESSENTIAL PART OF GOD'S FAMILY. HE HAS BESTOWED UPON YOU A CROWN OF BEAUTY INSTEAD OF ASHES. HE OFFERS YOU PRAISE INSTEAD OF A SPIRIT OF DESPAIR. JOY IN THE PLACE OF MOURNING. HE LONGS TO BIND UP YOUR BROKEN HEART. TO RELEASE YOU FROM ANYTHING THAT HOLDS YOU BACK.
there is no better news than this.
Blessing follows belief. As Elizabeth said to her cousin Mary, the mother of Jesus:
"You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said". Luke 1:45
So believe the gospel, beloved sister.
Blessing also follows obedience.
Therefore, be loved, sister.
xo,
Your Satisfied With Jesus Sister.
Comments
Post a Comment