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No power in the sky above or in the earth below—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. Romans 8:39 (NLT)
What can separate us from God’s love? The Bible tells us that nothing can separate us from His love. The only thing that stands in the way of a love relationship with God is our sin. Sin separates us from God’s love because God can’t look at sin, not because He doesn’t love us. All of us, no matter who we are or what we believe are God’s creation. He made ALL men (mankind) in His image for the express purpose of having a passionate, fulfilling love relationship with us.
Jesus came to earth to give us a living example of God’s love. He died to pay the penalty for our sin. He rose so that even death would have no power over us. Today He is seated at the right hand of His father pleading our case and reminding the Father that He died for us. He works in us though the power of the Holy Spirit to guide us, protect us and assure us of His love.
What can separate us from His love? If we believe that God is the creator of all things then He is also in control of all things created. He created all we see (the earth, universe, life) and the unseen (the spirit world, fear, doubt, etc.). Therefore He will not allow anything He has created to keep us from His love.
What can separate us from His love? Can our past? Can debt? Can illness? Can political agendas that are anti-God? Can present frustrations and disappointments? NO! The enemy uses these things to try to veil God’s love; to make us question His love, His existence and His forgiveness.
The enemy says, “He can’t forgive you this time. You’ve gone too far. You are nothing but a hypocrite.” The enemy says, “If God is a God of love why is there illness and disaster? If your God is alive and loving this would never happen”
But our Father in heaven has always warned us that in this world we will see adversity. We’ll see hatred and disaster and struggle. He’s told us we’ll struggle with sin and with those intent on destroying us. He’s even warned us that we will be unfaithful at times. But even these things will not separate us from God’s love.
Our attitudes towards God may affect our ability to sense His love for us but they will never affect how much He loves us!
What can separate us from God’s love? Nothing. Nothing you can see. Nothing that is hidden. Not the past, not the future. God loves you and He sent His own Son as proof. Your value comes because of God’s love for you and not because of anything you can do to earn it.
PRAYER: Holy Father. I thank you today for the reminder that there is nothing that separates me from you. I get scared sometimes. I get frustrated with my own feelings of inadequacy to follow you the way I want. I’m angry sometimes at the evil and injustice around me. Even during these times I ask that you would help me to live in constant awareness of your undying, eternal and unending love for me. In the name of my Lord and my Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image. 2 Corinthians 3:18 (NLT)
Reflection: the act of reflecting an image; representation; counterpart; the production of an image by or as if by a mirror.
Who is Jesus? What is He like? Why should I put my trust in Him? If He was alive 2000 years ago why should I pay any attention to Him now? What good would that do?
These are questions our world is asking during a time when there are many questions about religion, many other ‘choices’ offered to bring meaning and truth to life.
Each of us, as Christ-followers, are given the privilege of showing the world who Jesus is. The Apostle Paul tells us that we reflect the glory of the Lord to those who don’t know who Jesus is. That means that if your neighbor were asked what Jesus was like, they would say something like, “I’m not sure. But I think Jesus is probably like my neighbor.”
There are many people that have rejected Christ because they haven’t seen Him in the lives of His followers. Rather than seeing a reflection of Jesus when they look at us they see a reflection of something else, a human just as they are.
The bad news is that we are humans. We fail. We get angry. We hurt people physically, emotionally and mentally. In and of ourselves we can never reflect anything other than failure. It seems we are constantly reminded of that. Sometimes we are our own worst enemy by remembering our past and beating ourselves up for not being strong, not being holy, not following God the way we should. Other times people around us hold up our past mistakes like banners to remind us that we’ve failed.
The good news is that as reflections of Jesus we are not the source of the light. We simply reflect it. God is the one who ‘cleans the glass’ through the forgiveness offered through Jesus. God is the one that provides the light that shines though us.
The cleaning of our ‘mirrors’ takes time. We shouldn’t expect to reach perfection overnight. Don’t be discouraged by past mistakes and present struggles. That’s all part of the process God uses to prepare us for greater things.
Remember that God loves you dearly. He loves you enough to cleanse you through His Son, Jesus. He loves you enough to let His glory shine through you. ‘God’s glory’ refers to His Holy Spirit. When the Spirit is shining through you other people will notice because of the spiritual fruit of: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! (Galatians 5:22-23-NLT)
PRAYER: Dear Father. Thank you for Jesus and the love and forgiveness I have received through Him. I confess to you that I am often not a very good ‘mirror for Jesus’. Forgive me for the times I’ve been a poor reflection of Your glory. I ask that You would continue to clean and polish me so that others would see Jesus when they look at me. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. Philippians 1:6 (NLT)
History is strewn with unfinished projects. Dreams people have had that were never accomplished. Books that were started and never finished. Songs no one has heard. Inventions that have never seen a store shelf. Relationships that have never experienced the joy of togetherness.
There are many reasons for people failing to accomplish their dreams. Some ran out of time or money. Others experienced life changes that kept them from achieving their goal. Some just lost interest when the project didn’t take shape the way they’d hoped it would. There are also those that failed because of a failure to plan.
The Apostle Paul tells us we are each an unfinished project. But we are not likely to be cast aside any time soon! Before time itself we were a project in God’s eye. Psalm 139 says that each of our days was carefully planned out with every detail in place.
When God starts a project He has the ability to complete it, the desire to see it succeed and the passion to do it well. He is well aware of our shortcomings and the momentary setbacks. He understands how our feelings and the circumstances of our lives can keep us from staying on course. That doesn’t deter Him from continuing to work in our lives. He is never discouraged or disappointed in what He sees. Nothing we do surprises Him.
Every day of our lives is a step closer to becoming all God has planned for us. He will not abandon you. He will not tire of your shortcomings or lose interest in you and go on to some other, more promising project. You are His number one. You are His masterpiece.
Be patient though. Masterpieces take time. There will be set backs along the way and things won’t go as you’d like. In the midst of the struggle don’t forget who you are, a child of the King. Remember that you aren’t doing the work. God is working in you and through you to make you the finished product.
PRAYER: Dear Father. Thank you for the work you are doing I my life today. I don’t understand all the things that are happening right now. I’m trying so hard to change things in my life and they aren’t working. I praise you for that fact that you have all things in control and that you can use everything that happens in my life for good. Help me to live as the masterpiece I am. Amen.
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9
There are perhaps no words more devastating than the words “There’s nothing more we can do.” It could be the words of the doctor after the test results come back. On a far lighter scale it could be as the scoreboard clock registers zero and the ball falls harmlessly to the floor. Whatever the reason, those words bring indescribable agony to each of us.
There is, however, a time when these words can bring refreshment and life. That is when we each come to a point where we fully realize that there is no way we can live the way God wants us too. That’s when we come to the end of ourselves and admit that we don’t have what it takes to break that addiction, heal that relationship or endure the pain of illness or financial disaster.
The point when each of us falls to our knees and, in agony cries out to God that “There’s nothing I can do! I’m helpless!” is when His grace takes over. The bar that is set for us to live pleasing lives for God is too high for human achievement and effort.
That’s what Grace is about. That’s why Jesus came to die. He did it so that you could experience the freedom of life with God even though you are weak, stubborn or are hounded by addictions and relational dysfunction.
The Creator God of the universe knew we would not be able to measure up to His standards. That’s why He sent Jesus to die for us. Now we can experience the undeserved favor He has in store for us.
The ultimate irony in all this is that often times we as Christ-followers gladly accept the free gift of forgiveness and then turn around and try to ‘earn it’ by doing all sorts of things to appease God. Some of the things we do are very good things. For example, fill in the blank for this sentence. “To be a good Christian I need to __________________.”
Some of the possible answers could be: Go to church every Sunday; Read the Bible and pray every day; belong to a small group Bible study; and the list goes on. These are all very good things and important for our spiritual growth. However we don’t need to do those things to appease God. The debt is paid! There’s nothing more that needs to be done.
God doesn’t expect perfection from us. That’s why He is a God of second and third and forth chances. When you make a bad choice or stumble again ask for forgiveness and for the strength to do better next time. Then move on. Don’t allow the daily mistakes you make keep you from the freedom you have in Jesus. Jesus doesn’t keep score or compare you to others. His gift is free to all!
PRAYER: Heavenly Father. Some days I feel like I’m the least worthy of anyone to be forgiven. I’m stubborn, rebellious and rely on myself to get through life. Thank you for your free gift of Jesus. Forgive me for trying to gain your approval or for trying to do life my way. Empower me to live in the freedom you intended for me to have through your Grace. Amen.
“O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?” declares the LORD. “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. Jeremiah 18:6
One day the prophet Jeremiah was told by God to visit the house of the local potter. As Jeremiah watched, the potter worked gently shaping a piece of clay. In the process of forming the pot, the potter noticed a flaw in the clay. “This will never do,” he said. With that he began to reform the pot until the flaw was gone and a perfectly useful pot was formed. God said to Jeremiah, “just as the potter shaped this vessel for use, so I can shape my people to be used in the best way possible.”
Just as the potter was able to take the piece of clay in his hands and mold it into something useful, something perfectly able to accomplish the task it needed to accomplish, God shapes us daily so that we are better able to accomplish all that He has desired for us. Like a skilled artist God is molding you and shaping you into the person He wants you to be.
As God the Father is shaping you it’s important to remember some things about how He works. Just as the potter is very deliberate in his work, so our Heavenly Father is passionate about what He is doing in your life. His actions are never arbitrary or random. No movement of His hands is without reason. As a Sovereign God He makes every moment of our lives an opportunity to grow stronger and more effective.
As the potter shapes the clay, he pays attention to detail. No flaw goes unnoticed. He knows that even the smallest of flaws can make a vessel worthless. He knows the limitations of the clay but also knows the possibilities. Our Father is never willing to allow us to be useless vessels due to the flaws in our lives. Rather, he works each flaw out so that we can be strong and useful vessels for Him.
The potter also works patiently. He knows that a strong pot is formed slowly. Only under the direst of circumstances is he harsh and forceful with the clay. When that happens it happens for a reason and for a short time so that the clay can be reformed into something special. Sometimes God has to bring harsh things into our lives to work out the flaws and make us stronger. He does so in love and for our benefit.
Lastly, the potter is proud of his work. He has worked long and hard to make each vessel useful, strong and beautiful. Our Father does the same for us. Some stores sell products that are imperfect, or rejects. You can buy them at a discounted price because they are flawed. God doesn’t send us into the world as rejects or irregulars. We are His prized possessions. With His gentle hands He molds us, shapes us and works out the flaw so that we can be used for Him.
PRAYER: Father thank you for caring enough about me that you will not allow me to be a flawed vessel. I praise you for the fact that you will mold me and shape me to be the best I can possibly be. Help me to be empowered by you to be used in real and mighty ways. I pray this for your name’s sake. Amen.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 