8-31-15<\/p>\n
When I was a \u201cbaby Christian\u201d I had been familiar with scripture verses and Bible stories, but was new in the personal knowledge of the salvation message and a relationship with God in Christ. When \u201cborn again\u201d I often prayed in a certain way that I thought was appropriately humble.<\/p>\n
I began my prayers \u2013 and sometimes filled them and ended them \u2013 with confessions of unworthiness. I was conscious of my lowly status before God. A sinner who felt presumptuous to approach the Throne of God. This realization was humbling, and I thought was a step forward in my proper relationship with God. A spiritual breakthrough.<\/p>\n
In fact, it is just the opposite. The pilgrim\u2019s progress on the way to Heaven, to the presence of God for eternity, certainly has way-stations of setbacks and also, yes, those of clear realizations. It is hard to move to the next spiritual step until we approach, appreciate, and pass by the stages that include, say, the overwhelming understanding that the gulf between a Holy God and us, lowly sinners, is enormous.<\/p>\n
The consciousness of sin, and the awareness that we cannot save ourselves, is essential in our walk. Likewise the full knowledge of God\u2019s awesome holiness. But\u2026<\/p>\n
\u2026 these steps come during our journey, not after we are assured of Heaven and the security of forgiveness and acceptance. When we achieve Heaven there will be no shadow of turning, no doubts, no anxiety about past transgressions, no nervous feelings that we have sins yet to be dealt with.<\/p>\n
In fact we can know that peace now. No Pearly Gates, no giant book with ledger-sheets of good and bad. <\/p>\n
When we are saved, we are saved. The Bible speaks of judgments, yes, and also crowns and treasures delivered after we are in Heaven. Whether we can \u201close\u201d our salvation before Heaven is occasionally debated by theologians\u2026 but not that we can lose it in Heaven. These are all mysteries that fill us with joy, but not with dread or even insecurity. God does not issue counterfeit entrance passes. There will be no U-Turns once you get to Glory. <\/p>\n
The Joy Unspeakable we can know now is because of a simple fact. When we invite Jesus into our hearts, where He lives and reigns after our happy surrender to Him, God looks at us and\u2026 sees Jesus. He sees the \u201cnew\u201d us. And the Bible tells us that when we receive Him, and receive the forgiveness He promises, we are forgiven indeed. <\/p>\n
He casts our sins over His shoulder into a sea of forgetfulness. God can do anything, but in that mystery He forgets our sins: He chooses not to remember them. Not only in Heaven, but now<\/span>, He remembers our transgressions no more. A neat trick. Thank God. Literally.<\/p>\n And that means those prayers couched in abject humility as a sinner, groveling in guilt and unworthiness, are out of place in the life of a born-again, saved and redeemed believer. Once upon a time, appropriate \u2013 even necessary \u2013 but no more! We stand on our feet, washed and covered by Jesus’s Atonement, and approach the Throne of Grace! He looks at us, and sees the Blood.<\/p>\n There is another side to the coin. Just as we tend, unnecessarily, to remind God of sins that He has forgotten, how often do we forget our prayers that He has answered? How often do we neglect the Source of gifts and good things? How often do we fail to thank Him for uncountable blessings?<\/p>\n In my case, I\u2019m afraid the answer is \u201coften.\u201d Probably with you, too. <\/p>\n Those items of Neglect are sins. God is the author of all good things, and whether we rudely fail to acknowledge His move in our lives, or simply (?) ignore the grateful responses due Him, we horribly fall short. Salvation is not free \u2013 the sacrifice paid by Jesus made God cry, not only Mary \u2013 but it is easy, and it is eternal.<\/p>\n Surely, after He has forgotten our sins forever, we can occasionally remember His forgiveness, His blessings, His love. <\/p>\n We have traded our dirty clothes for shining robes, and a crown, and diamonds in that crown. Remember what awaits. We have foretastes even now. Let us act like we know it!<\/p>\n + + +<\/p>\n