When we mention that we are a "mess" we aren't talking about our personalities, or a funny quirk we may have...we are talking about the things in our lives that aren't what they should be...we are talking about the "sin" no matter how mild we want to make it. Anything less than pleasing to God needs to go.
God desires for us to be holy. To be spotless and blameless. Without sin. Are we human? Yes. Are any of us perfect? No. But that's where God's grace comes in...grace(the transformational power of God given to the BELIEVER to overcome sin and become more like Christ). God is not okay with our "MESS". He HATES sin. We've really fluffed up some concepts in our Christianity to make us all feel "comfortable in our sin." God does not want us to stumble and fall... He wants us to "aim for perfection" to "be holy as I am holy".
God's love for us is most definitely unconditional...but His acceptance of us is not. He clearly defines what is acceptable to Him. Jesus did not suffer a brutal death on a cross so that you and I are free to do whatever we want. He suffered and died so that we could be free. But the free He is talking about is found as we draw closer to Him, only then are those freedoms revealed to us. We like to think that God just wants us to be happy. God's goal in our lives isn't really about our happiness, it's about holiness.
We like to take it that we are free from the consequences of our actions because He died on the cross for us, and whenever we do sin He just looks at us with a smile and says, oh well, they're just a work in progress....God IS LOVE...But GOD is also HOLY. What we experience when we as Christians sin...is His MERCY. His mercy for not striking us dead on the spot...His mercy for allowing us more time to repent and ask His forgiveness before we stand before Him in judgement. "Saved by Grace" yes...that's what will save us, because God's grace is what will transform us into righteousness and holiness. spotless and blameless. That is what is acceptable before a holy God. God is really not glorified in our mess, sure when we repent out of that mess and transform He is glorified. BUT God is much more glorified with righteous living than with our "messes".
God wants our obedience. God wants us to be serious about Him. He was pretty serious about us when He went to the cross. Not so that we can be so flippant in our walk with Him, but so that we can live how He created us to live. Our SOLE purpose, no matter what we do, is to completely worship Him. This style of living is not easy. That's why Jesus says only a few will make it to Heaven. But it does get easier as Jesus becomes the most important thing in your life.
There is AMAZING freedom in Christ. It's indescribable until you've experienced it for yourself. I encourage anyone who reads this to really stop and think about these things, dig into scripture and pull these things out. There are a TON of scriptures to back what I'm saying up...I'm not giving them to you because if you are capable of reading this blog, then you are more than capable of picking up your Bible. They're in there. Pretty much the entire New Testament will back this theory up, but if you want to start with just a few books read: 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, Hebrews, James, and 1 and 2 Peter. Ask God for wisdom and understanding as you search these things out...and He will give them to you if you are earnestly seeking Him. I am by no means perfect...but I can honestly say with a sincere smile that...I am NOT a mess! :) So you and me...let's aim high shall we? :)
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