Author: Jeff Ropp

God’s grace toward Judah and Tamar

Christians can be uptight about sin and brokenness. We can be quick to judge others who mess up, but we do not like to talk about our own messes. When we read the Bible from cover to cover, we can see that God is not nearly as upset about sin and brokenness as people tend to be. The Lord has recorded many true stories about broken sinners whom He uses for His purposes. An example of this is found in Genesis 38.

The main characters in this true story include Judah, one of the sons of Jacob, and his daugther-in-law Tamar. Judah did not follow God’s design when he intermarried with one of the accursed Canaanite women named Shua and fathered three sons (38:1-5; cf. 23-4; 27:46-28:2). Judah gave a young Canaanite woman named Tamar to be the wife of his firstborn son, Er (38:6). But Er “was wicked in the sight of the Lord,” so “the Lord killed him” (38:7).

In accordance with the Levirate marriage customs (the marriage of a man to his deceased brother’s wife to provide his brother with an heir), Judah instructed his second born son, Onan, to marry Tamar to “raise up an heir” for Er (38:8). But Onan was a selfish man who wanted his deceased brother’s inheritance for himself, so he refused to father a child through Tamar (38:9). Because of his disobedience, Onan was “killed” by the Lord because descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were an important part of God’s plans (38:10; cf. 12:7; 13:15-16; 17:7-10; 26:3-4; 28:13-14).

Judah wrongfully forced Tamar to live as a “widow” as he blamed her for the deaths of his two sons (38:11). When Tamar was informed that Judah was going up to his sheepshearers at Timnah after his Canaanite wife died, she masqueraded as a prostitute there and tricked Judah into giving her his seal and staff in exchange for having sex with her (38:12-18). When Judah learned that Tamar was pregnant, he quickly judged her and said, “Bring her out and let her be burned” (38:24b)! Like many Christians, Judah was eager to focus on the sins of others, rather than deal with his own sin.

But to his credit, when Judah learned that he was the one responsible for Tamar’s pregnancy, he humbly repented and said, “She has been more righteous than I, because I did not give her to Shelah my son” (38:26a). An evidence of his genuine repentance was that “he never knew her (sexually) again” (38:26b).

When we hear a story like this, we may be repulsed that Judah and Tamar would do such wicked things! “Such abhorrent acts should never be found among God’s people!” we may say to ourselves. We may even tell ourselves, “I would never consider doing such things!” Christians can show very little mercy or compassion to broken sinners like Judah and Tamar. They may conclude that such people are not deserving of God’s mercy and grace or that God could never use such wicked people like that.

If that is what you are thinking, then you especially need to hear the rest of this story. Tamar gave birth to twins and the firstborn, Perez, became the ancestor of King David and Jesus the Messiah (38:28-30; cf. Ruth 4:18-22; Matthew 1:3, 16). Did Tamar deserve to be a part of the Messianic lineage? Not at all. But there is more.

Later in the book of Revelation Jesus Christ is referred to as “the Lion of the tribe of Judah” who alone is worthy to open the scroll and break the seven seals containing judgments (Revelation 5:5). Did Judah deserve to have his name in a title for the coming King of kings and Lord of lords? Of course not. None of us do. But God’s grace makes these aforementioned privileges possible for both Tamar and Judah.

God did not let Judah’s selfishness and promiscuity nor Tamar’s deception and incest keep Him from bringing the Messiah into the world through Jacob’s lineage. Nor does God’s grace let our sin and brokenness keep Him from using us for His eternal purposes. It is humbling to realize that God’s grace still uses imperfect sinners like you and me to bring His Son to others through the preaching of the gospel. God takes undeserving people and uses them greatly for His glory! That is grace!!!

Prayer: Father God, forgive me for being quick to judge the sins of others while I struggle with my own sin every day. Thank You for recording the story of Judah and Tamar to remind me that Your grace uses undeserving people like me to accomplish Your eternal purposes. Help me to show Your grace to someone today whose sin and shame has led them to think that You could never love them or use them. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Coming clean with God

“So He said to him, ‘What is your name?’ He said, ‘Jacob.’” Genesis 32:27

I learned something significant this morning during my devotions. When Jacob was wrestling with the Angel of the Lord (Hosea 12:4) before going to meet his brother Esau, the Angel of the Lord said to him, “Let Me go, for the day breaks” (Genesis 32:26a). But Jacob said to Him, “I will not let You go unless You bless me” (Genesis 32:26b). The Lord then said to him, “What is your name” (Genesis 32:27a)? Why did God ask Jacob this?

Earlier Jacob had sought his brother Esau’s blessing from his earthly father, Isaac. When he entered his father’s presence, Isaac asked him, “Who are you, my son” (Genesis 27:18b)? Jacob deceived his father and said, “I am Esau your firstborn” (Genesis 27:19a).

Now Jacob is wrestling with God and God dislocates his hip (Genesis 32:25). And when God asks him for his name, he comes clean with his heavenly Father and says his name is “Jacob” (Genesis 32:27b). Up to this time, Jacob had been a manipulator. At birth he grasped his twin brother Esau’s heel and was given the name “Jacob” which means “heel-holder” (Genesis 25:26). Later Jacob deceived his father, Isaac, into giving him Esau’s blessing, and Jacob’s name came to mean “supplanter” – “one who takes the place of another by trickery.” His name took on the meaning of a “cheater, deceiver, schemer.” So when he told God his name, Jacob was being honest with God about his character flaws. He is saying to God, “I am a cheater and a schemer.” It’s like Jacob is saying, “Lord, I don’t want to pretend any more. I want to present my true self to You. Here I am. Take me.”

Aren’t all of us like Jacob? Because of the hurt and shame in our lives, we deceive ourselves and others to protect ourselves or to get our way. So God has to dismantle these layers of self- protection. Like He did with Jacob, He may have to dislocate our hip to bring us to the end of ourselves. Or He may bring about a different type of crisis. It may be the loss of a job, our spouse, our children, or even our own health. Whatever it takes to bring us to the end of ourselves. God does not do this because He is cruel. He does this because He loves us and He wants to liberate us from the layers and layers of shame and self-deception.

When Jacob came clean with God, the Lord changed his name to “Israel” which means “God’s fighter” (Genesis 32:28). After all, Jacob fought with God and men, and prevailed not by trickery, but by persistent faith. God knew Jacob’s potential; He saw beneath his self-sufficient, crafty exterior. God said, “That’s not the real you, Jacob. You are actually an Israel. You are My fighter.” God saw the fighter in Jacob, and the former cheater began to become the man whom the entire nation of Israel was named after.

The good news is when you believe in Jesus Christ for eternal life, God gives you a new identity. Beneath all those things you know about yourself that you don’t like, God sees an Israel. He sees “His fighter.” He sees what you can become. He sees potential because He gave you God the Holy Spirit to empower you to live a victorious Christian life. “The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, He will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.” Romans 8:11 [NLT] God the Holy Spirit in you gives you the desire and power to do what is right, “As the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like Him.” 2 Corinthians 3:18 [LB] You are now God’s fighter, “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” Romans 8:37 [NKJV]. You now have the potential through Him who loved you to live above your circumstances instead of underneath them.

Prayer: Father God, forgive me for pretending to be someone I am not, for hiding behind layers and layers of lies and manipulation. You know everything about me and still love and accept me. Because of Your amazing love for me, I come to You as I am. Help me to see myself through Your eyes now. I am Your fighter or conqueror through Jesus who loved me. Thank You for giving me the Holy Spirit to empower me to live for You above my circumstances instead of underneath them. In Jesus’ name. Amen

Will I serve my Savior or sin?

“Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.” Romans 6:6

The moment I believed in Jesus, my “old man” or unregenerate self was joined spiritually by the Holy Spirit to Jesus’ crucifixion on the cross that the summation (“body”) of my “sin might be done away with,” that I “no longer” must be a slave of sin (Romans 6:6; cf. Romans 6:3-11; I Corinthians 12:13; Galatians 3:2, 26-27). The former person I was without Christ died when Jesus died. And now I have a new Master in place of sin. His name is Jesus Christ.

Jesus has already defeated sin in my life by joining me both to His crucifixion which broke the power and control of sin in my life (cf. Hebrews 2:14-15) and to His resurrection which gives me the power to live as a slave to Jesus and His righteousness (cf. Romans 6:18, 22). Every day I have a choice to make – do I serve my Savior or sin? I cannot have two masters. I must choose one or the other. If I choose the Savior I will enjoy “life and peace,” but if I choose sin I will experience “death” (Romans 8:6).

Prayer: Lord Jesus help me reject the lie that says I cannot change or resist sin and its lusts in my life. Help me believe the truth that says the victory over sin has already been won by You, Lord. All I must do is place myself under Your authority and control to experience this victory You have already won. Since I am under Your authority now, please tell me what You want me to do and help me to do it. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Why is it important to meet with other Christians?

 “24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hebrews 10:24-25

The author of the book of Hebrews is writing to Christians who are being pressured to return to Judaism and give up on their Christian faith. After focusing on the sufficient sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross to perfect them and give them total acceptance before God (10:1-18), the writer admonishes his readers to boldly “draw near” to God in a “new and living way” without unbelief or consciousness of sin or guilt (10:19-22). They are to persevere in the faith (10:23) and Christian fellowship till Christ’s return (10:24-25), when the promise of the eternal inheritance will be awarded to those who persevere (cf. Heb. 9:15; 10:35-37).

As the nearness of Christ’s return approaches, Christians are to meet with one another “to stir up love and good works” among each other. The word “consider” means to carefully focus on another person in such a way as to “stir up” or stimulate one another to love God and each other so they can live a godly life (“good works”). Satan wants Christians to withdraw from other believers so he can attack them and destroy them much like a lion that preys upon animals that are isolated from the herd and more vulnerable to attack (cf. I Peter 5:8). But God wants us not to forsake “assembling ourselves together, as is the manner of some,” so we can focus on “exhorting one another” in such a way as to encourage and strengthen each other to persevere in the Christian faith.

The more we meet with other believers, the more prepared we will be to face Christ on “the Day” of His return for His church. Satan will whisper lies to us (“No one would love me if they knew all about me,” “I cannot depend on others to help me,” “Christians are such hypocrites,” “No one would miss me if did not go to church,” “I am not needed”) to keep us from meeting with other believers. But the more Christians focus on the truth (“Christ wants to love me through other believers,” “I can learn to depend on others through Christ who strengthens me,” “Christians are imperfect sinners like me,” “I am an important member of the body of Christ,” “I am needed to love and be loved in the church”), the more motivated they will be to connect with other Christians.   

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me dismiss the lies that keep me from meeting with other believers who encourage and strengthen me and I them to be more prepared to face You at the Judgment Seat of Christ. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Renewing our sense of hope

“22 Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23

The prophet Jeremiah is mourning God’s severe judgment of Jerusalem which had departed from Him, bringing much devastation and destruction (Lam. 1-2). In the midst of his anguish and heartbreak (3:1-20), Jeremiah expresses his hope in the Lord (3:21). “22 Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness” (3:22-23). Had it not been for “the Lord’s mercies,” the nation of Israel would have been “consumed” and no longer existed as a nation. Because God’s “compassions” never fail even when His people are unfaithful, they can have a renewed sense of hope “every morning.” Since God’s “faithfulness” to His promises is “great,” His people can have a renewed sense of faithfulness to their loyal God.

What about you? Do you feel that God is being unfair to you in the midst of your struggles? Have you lost hope as you watch our country move farther away from the Lord and His ways? Do you believe the Lord is judging His church in America by giving it a lack of influence and a lack of sensitivity to the Spirit’s leading? Is your heart filled with anguish and a lack of hope?

Listen to the voice of truth in Lamentations 3:22-23 and let the Holy Spirit apply it to the depths of your being. “22 Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.” God’s “mercies” withhold the judgment and condemnation that would normally consume you. His “compassions” (empathy, kindness, gentleness) never fail. He understands your vulnerabilities and weaknesses and still loves you just as you are. The Lord’s mercies and compassions are “new every morning,” giving you a renewed sense of hope that today God is going to bless you. Why? Because His “faithfulness” is “great” toward you in Jesus Christ (I Cor. 1:9), and is not dependent upon your performance. Soak up God’s mercies, compassions, and faithfulness, and He will fill you with unending hope!

Prayer: Lord God Almighty, I pray You would wake me up each morning making me fully aware of Your mercies, compassions, and faithfulness so that I will turn to You when I am hurting and insecure. Make me sensitive to the fact that Your mercies withhold the judgment and condemnation that I deserve so that I will continue to be open and honest with You even when I fail. Renew my mind to the truth that says Your compassions undertand my vulnerabilities and weaknesses so that I will not hide anything from You. And help me believe that Your faithfulness is great toward me in Christ so that I will be more faithful to You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Developing an appetite for God

“Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!” Psalm 34:8

Ever since the Fall of Adam and Eve, people have struggled with shame. Just as Adam’s and Eve’s shame distorted their view of God (Genesis 3:1-10), many people today have many shame-based concepts about God. According to Sandra D. Wilson, in her book Released from Shame (pp. 142-143), these misconceptions about God often originate from our family of origin. We think that God will resemble our parents or authority figures from our childhood (cf. Psalm 50:21).

For example, those whose parents were rigid and perfectionistic may perceive God to be very demanding and unforgiving. No matter how hard they try, they can never measure up to this distorted view of God who does not forgive nor forget their sins. When they fail, watch out! His cruel side is manifested. He seems to delight in sending financial disaster or physical disease to emphasize His intolerance of their spiritual failures. Understandably, it is difficult for them to approach this kind of deity and experience His forgiveness and love.

God wants to replace our distorted views of Him with the truth. For example, in Psalm 34:8, the Psalmist invites his readers to “taste and see that the Lord is good.” The word “taste” refers to examining something by tasting it. We are to examine who God is and perceive (“see”) that He is “good.” The word “good” in this context refers to something that is pleasant or agreeable to the senses like a freshly baked pie or the warmth of a fireplace on a cold winter day.

The more we know the God of the Bible and experience that He is good, the more “blessed” or fortunate we will be as we learn to “trust” or seek refuge in Him. The Lord wants us to experience that He is a God who pardons, not punishes (Psalm 103:8-10). He is merciful, not merciless (Psalm 103:11-14). He is a God of compassion, not condemnation (John 3:17). He is gentle, not harsh (Matthew 11:29). He loves us as we are (Romans 5:6, 8).

When we begin to perceive who God truly is, our appetite for Him will increase exponentially. Like the apostle Peter says, “2 As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious” (I Peter 2:2-3). Our appetite for God and His Word will greatly increase “if” we have “tasted” or experienced “that the Lord is gracious.” If we have lost our appetite for God and His Word, it is probably because we have lost sight of the goodness and graciousness of Jesus Christ. God’s goodness and grace can be seen in His sacrifice on the cross. God gave Himself for you and me, so He could have a love relationship with us. God’s grace means giving your absolute best to someone who deserves your absolute worst. Christ forgives us of things that other people will hold against us until they go to their graves. That is goodness and grace!

Our appetite for God and His Word hinges on our taste of His goodness to us in Christ. If you perceive God to be a harsh, critical, and angry God, you are not going to want to hear what He has to say. You will not want to open His Word. It is easy for us to see God as an unkind Person when we experience suffering. But God is not to blame for the bad things that happen to us. God’s creation was completely “good” when He made it (Genesis 1), but it became contaminated by sin when people disobeyed Him (Genesis 3). Therefore, much of the world is not good because people are not good.

But the goodness and grace of God can be seen when He takes the bad things that happen to us and brings eternal good out of them. For example, I have been ministering at a provincial jail for the last five years in the Philippines. Many of the inmates there have testified how thankful they are for their incarceration because God used those tough times to expose them to the gospel and eventually opened their hearts to believe in Jesus.

Have you lost your appetite for God and His Word? Activate it by laying aside misconceptions of God and then focus on the unlimited goodness and grace of God through Jesus Christ! When we experience that “the Lord is good” and “gracious,” our appetite for Him and His Word will resemble that of a newborn baby who longs for its milk.

God’s remedy for worry

“6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

When we are “anxious” or worried about something, God instructs us to talk to Him about it through “prayer.” He wants us to worry about “nothing” and pray about “everything.” The word “supplication” means to tell Him what you need. Few people ever identify what they need because they are so busy worrying. The word “request” refers to asking God for what you want or desire (Psalm 37:4).

For example, if I am worried about what people think of me, I can talk to the Lord about this and as I do, He may show me that my underlying need is for acceptance. I can then ask the Lord to meet this need for acceptance. He accepts me in Christ no matter what others think of me (Ephesians 1:6). As I meditate on this truth, I can express my desire (“request”) for God’s peace to rule over my heart and mind when I feel alone and insecure.

As I talk to God about my anxiety, needs, and desires, He promises to guard my heart and mind with His peace that surpasses human understanding. The “peace of God” is like a deep calmness in the midst of life’s storms. For example, the water underneath the surface of the ocean remains calm during a storm. The phrase “will guard” pictures an armed soldier walking back and forth in front of the city gate, protecting the occupants inside the city from intruders. God’s peace constantly protects those who choose to talk to Him about their worries, and ask Him for what they need and want.

Where do we turn for help?

“1 I will lift up my eyes to the hills— from whence comes my help? 2 My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. 3 He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber.” Psalm 121:1-3

As we were approaching our next stop in Colorado, I was captivated by the Collegiate Mountain Range near Buena Vista. These mountains were towering over us as we motored down the mountain pass toward the next town. As I gazed at these majestic peaks, I was reminded of the Psalmist’s words that were uttered on his journey toward the mountains of Jerusalem where he would worship “the Lord Who made heaven and earth.”

Some people approach the mountains irrationally and worship what God made. Nature is the object of their worship (Romans 1:20-25). But the rational way to approach the mountains is to worship their Maker, Jesus Christ (cf. John 1:3; Colossians 1:16-17). This is what the Psalmist did as he moved toward the mountains of Jerusalem.

The Psalmist’s question in verse 1 really grabbed my attention today. “From whence comes my help?” Where do we turn for help or assistance when we face challenges on our life’s journey? We may turn to our own power and ingenuity. Some of us may turn to our friends or family. Others may turn to their horoscope or to crystals which God forbids (Deuteronomy 17:2-5; 18:10-14; Isaiah 47:12-14). But all of these options have limitations.

What is the value of turning to the Lord for help?

1. He is Strong – “The Lord, Who made heaven and earth” (121:2). The God Who made the universe in six 24-hour days certainly has the ability to help me in my time of need. He never gets tired and He never faces a problem that is greater than Him.

2. He is Stable – “He will not allow your foot to be moved” (121:3a). God knows how easy it is for us to slip into sin or discouragement. His unchanging presence and promises give us stability during seasons of change and difficulty.

3. He never Sleeps – “He who keeps you will not slumber” (121:3b).God never falls asleep on the job.He always has His eye upon you.

I am reminded of a time during WWII when the Germans were bombing London all night, every night. After one terrible attack, the people of London began to search through the rubble looking for the dead and the injured. After a while, everyone had been accounted for but one grandmother named Mrs. Smith. They searched everywhere for her and finally someone found her in her bedroom, asleep in her bed. They were shocked and asked her, “Mrs. Smith, how could you sleep with all those bombs dropping all around?” Her answer is precious. She said, “Well, the Bible says that ‘ He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.’ I decided there was no use in both of us staying up, so I just went to sleep and left it in the Lord’s hands.”

God is constantly awake to give us the stability and safety we need when we face dangers on our life’s journey. Stargazing and stones cannot give us what God can give. Our family and friends are not always there when we need them, but God is always available. Look to Him when you are in need of help. He is Someone you can always count on!

Is our past a hitching post or a guidepost?

“14 If, however, he begets a son who sees all the sins which his father has done, and considers but does not do likewise; who has not eaten on the mountains, nor lifted his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel , nor defiled his neighbor’s wife…17 but has executed My judgments and walked in My statutes – he shall not die for the iniquity of his father; He shall surely live!” Ezekiel 18:14, 17

You are probably familiar with L. Thomas Holdcrofts’ quote, “The past is a guidepost, not a hitching post.” A hitching post is a post to which a horse (or other animal) is tied to prevent it from straying. Holdcrofts’ quote seems to imply that our past does not have to keep us from moving forward. Our past can help guide us in to the future by avoiding things we did in the past or repeating them if they help us go in the direction we want to go.

But in light of Ezekiel 18:14, 17, I would like to look at Holdcrofts’ saying in a slightly different way. Instead of the past referring to our own personal past choices, what if we were to think of it as the past involving our ancestor’s choices? Have you ever thought or felt that the sins of your ancestor’s are unavoidable? That you will repeat the same sinful and shameful things they did and said? You view your past as a hitching post which does not allow you to change or be different than your ancestor’s?

For example, I know of some Christian married couples who refuse to have children because they do not want to repeat the sins of their parents and grandparents. They are viewing their past as a hitching post which will be passed down to their children.

Ezekiel 18:14, 17 reminds us that we can learn from our ancestor’s sins and not repeat them with God’s help. Having wicked grandparents or parents does not guarantee that we and our descendants will be wicked. Through Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13), we can still choose to do what is right and teach this to our children and grandchildren. God can break the sin/shame cycle when we trust and obey Him. In other words, our past can be like a guidepost, not a hitching post, when we yield to God’s amazing grace.

We are loved beyond imagination!

“The Lord your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17

Many Christians struggle with shame. At the core of their being, they believe they are unacceptable or worthless before God. They may know the doctrine of God’s unconditional love, but they do not believe it or experience it in the deepest part of their being. Deep down they think they have to earn His love or that God would never love them as they are. Shame-based lies keep them from opening up to God and others. Lies that say, “Nobody would love me as I am.” “I am basically a bad and worthless person.” “I cannot get my needs met by depending on others.” Satan uses shame to condemn us and isolate us from God and one another. 

Our verse in Zephaniah (3:17) reminds us that God wants us to sit in His presence so He can delight in us. After revealing God’s coming judgment upon the world (Zeph. 1:2-3:8), the prophet, Zephaniah, discloses God’s blessings to come upon His people (Zeph. 3:9-20) to motivate them to live for the Lord during a time of spiritual decline in their nation.

After defeating all His enemies (3:15), King Jesus will be in Israel’s “midst” like a “Mighty” Warrior to “save” them from harm (3:17a). Like a Bridegroom, King Jesus “will rejoice over” His people, Israel, “with gladness” and “He will quiet” them in the security of “His love” for them as His bride (3:17b). King Jesus “will rejoice over” His bride “with singing.”

God wants to celebrate who we are! “He will rejoice over you with singing,” not condemn us or shame us. He wants to quiet us with His love. 

The night before His death, Jesus shared a meal with His disciples (John 13:1-8). After the meal, Christ stood up from the table and displayed His incredible love. Like a common house slave, He wrapped a towel around His waste, poured water in a basin, and began to wash His disciples dirty and road-worn feet. Among those feet were Judas’s and Peter’s. One man would betray Him and the other would deny Him before the night was over. Still, Jesus knelt down before them.

Today, God’s love kneels down before us, wherever we are. And as He does, He urges us to bare ourselves before Him. Why? Because in seeing our naked selves – wicked, wounded, and weak – in the light of His love, we begin to understand Who He truly is. He is a good and merciful God. Only in our nakedness and vulnerability can we experience Jesus’ mercy, tenderness, and healing. In our nakedness Jesus does not shame us nor look down on us. He delights in us. 

As we realize that we are loved beyond imagination by Jesus, we discover that this alone is what defines us. We are His beloved. And because of this, we are free from the compulsion to be someone we are not. We are free from having to impress, manipulate, or attempt in our own unique way to earn love. We are free to be who we are in Christ:

– We are the salt and light of the earth (Matt. 5:13-14)

– We are the branches of the True Vine, channels of His life (John 15:1, 5)

– We are chosen and appointed to bear fruit (John 15:16)

– We are witnesses of Christ endowed with the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8)

– We are justified or declared totally righteous before God (Rom. 4:5; 5:1)

– We are free from condemnation (Rom. 8:1a, 34)

– We are assured all things work together for good (Rom. 8:28)

– We are free from accusation (Rom. 8:33)

– We cannot be separated from God’s love (Rom. 8:35-39)

– We are bought with the price of Christ’s blood; We belong to Him (I Cor. 6:19-20)

– We are members of Christ’s body (I Cor. 12:27) 

– We are ministers of reconciliation for Christ (2 Cor. 5:18-19)

– We are ambassadors for Christ (2 Cor. 5:20)

– We are God’s co-worker (2 Cor. 6:1)

– We are His holy temple (2 Cor. 6:16)

– We are saints (Ephes. 1:1)

– We are chosen by God (Ephes. 1:4)

– We are accepted in the Beloved (Ephes. 1:6)

– We are redeemed and forgiven (Ephes. 1:7)

– We are seated next to Christ in the heavenlies far above all powers (Ephes. 1:20-21; 2:5-6)

– We are God’s workmanship or Masterpiece (Ephes. 2:10)

– We may approach God directly with confidence and freedom (Ephes. 3:12)

– We are citizens of heaven (Phil. 3:20)

– We can do all things through Christ Who strengthens us (Phil. 4:13)

– We are complete in Christ (Col. 2:10)

– We are hidden with Christ in God (Col. 3:3)

– We have not been given a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind (I Tim. 1:7)

– We can find grace and mercy in time of need (Heb. 4:16)

– We are dearly loved children of God (I John 3:1-2)

– We are born of God; the evil one cannot touch us (I John 5:18)