It is by grace that we no longer have to earn our salvation. It is by grace that we are blessed with God’s promises and are no longer required to earn God’s blessings (Rom 6:14). We are no longer being judged by God because Jesus was sacrificed for our sins. We are now saved through God’s grace by our faith (Eph 2:8-9). To understand the significance of Jesus’ sacrifice, we have to understand the laws given in the Old Testament. In order to be cleansed for sins before Jesus’ sacrifice, animal sacrifices had to be made. The blood of the animal being sacrificed cleansed one’s sin and life (Lev 17:11). Now if we look at the New Testament, we are now cleansed by the blood of Jesus (1 Jhn 1:7). God no longer holds us accountable for our sins because there is no greater sacrifice that can be made that is greater than the blood of Jesus. Where animal sacrificed only cleansed you for previous sins, Jesus’ sacrifice cleansed you for all your sins past and future. We are no longer under the judgement of the law now that we have Jesus (Gal 3:24-25).
We established that we are now under grace through Christ and we are no longer under God’s judgement. We don’t have to worry about how we see ourselves. We have to focus on the fact that we have been set free by God’s grace. An example I like to follow is that imagine wearing a brand new bright white t-shirt. Every time we sin, we (emphasis on you and I) add a little stain to our brand new bright white t-shirt. If we let this mindset go on long enough, we our brand new bright white t-shirt doesn’t look so nice. We start feeling embarrassed and ashamed of how dirty our shirt has become and we don’t want to be seen by God. We have to remember we are under grace, it’s no longer how we see ourselves. It’s about how God sees us and when God sets us free, we are free indeed (Jhn 8:36). God still sees us in our brand new bright white t-shirt regardless of how we see ourselves.
There are times where we want to look back in life and play the should’ve, would’ve could’ve game and we just want to beat ourselves up. But we have to remind ourselves that God sees us as His children made perfect through His grace by our faith. If God doesn’t hold judgement against us why should be beat ourselves up? We can’t forget that the enemy will always try to pull us away from God’s blessing and promises. The enemy is the thief trying to steal God’s blessings from us and we have to change our thinking so this doesn’t happen. In our daily life we are used to doing some sort of action to get some something in return. We work our jobs, we get a check. We go to the drive-thru and pay for a meal, we get a meal. My economics professor said, there is no such thing as a free meal and in this world that is very true. But, we as believers, are not bound by rules of this world. We are bound by the Word of God that resides within our spirit and that is where our focus needs to be. Through grace by our faith, God is now an all loving, all forgiving righteous God. God is good.
Romans 6:14 NIV For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.
Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.
Leviticus 17:11 NIV For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.
1 John 1:7 NIV But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
Galatians 3:24-25 NKJV Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.
John 8:36 NIV So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
John 10: 10 NIV The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.