Guilty, but Declared Innocent

This post is third in a mini-series based on my jury duty experience.
See part one here
and part two here.

The main job of a juror is to look at the facts as seen in the evidence, and decide if the defendant is guilty or innocent, based on what the facts say.

In the case for which I was a juror, the facts didn't make that job easy. It was hard to trust the validity of the witnesses' testimonies, or the accuracy of computer data. We had no way of knowing whether something was dependable or not. Therefore, we had to decide that there was not enough proof to declare the defendant guilty of the main crime of which he had been accused. So, of that crime, we decided he was innocent.

As a sinful human being who answers to a far greater Judge than the one sitting in the courtroom I was in, I am not so lucky. There is very solid evidence against me. There's no jury debating my guilt or innocence.
I am, beyond all possible doubt, guilty of sin. I have broken God's laws, and God, who sees and knows everything, has no doubt of that.

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God..." Romans 3:23

Satan has accused me. My own sinful nature has convicted me.

But I will not receive the punishment due a guilty verdict.

"...and are justified freely by His grace." Romans 3:24

You see, when the Law pronounced guilty every person who's ever lived, God's Son stepped in to take the punishment we all deserve.
As a lawbreaker, I deserve death. Eternal separation from God.

"For the wages of sin is death..." Romans 6:23a

I'm not getting what I deserve.

"...but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23b

Jesus Christ took my guilt upon himself. He had never sinned, and he was perfect--holy, pure and righteousness. He told his Father, "Look at them and see my sinlessness. Look at me and see their sin." And God said, "Yes. For your sake, I forgive them wholly."

"God made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." 2 Corinthians 5:21

He took the punishment that was rightfully mine--all of ours. He died. He experienced total separation from God, besides a physically excruciating death. He was mocked, humiliated, and tortured--so that I would not be.

But Jesus didn't stay dead. He paid the price, all right. But he is God, and God cannot die.

He faced my accuser--Satan. He announced that he had paid the price for my sin. And he declared to Satan that I can no longer be accused of guilt. Past, present, and future sins were all covered by Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. Nothing I do will earn me eternal condemnation. God looks at me as one holy and perfect, covered by the righteousness of his Son.

Now, I'll still have to face consequences for the poor choices I make. But I will never have to endure the punishment that those wrongs deserve.

There's no question: I committed the crime. But there's also no question that the guilt is no longer mine. The holy Son of the righteous Judge has taken my punishment. I am free and redeemed because of his love and grace.

I'm Loved: Clean House or Not

My family is coming to visit on Sunday!  They're staying with my grandparents (unfortunately we don't have room for four more people) but Hubby and I will spend as much time as possible with them while they're here.  I can hardly wait!!  It's only been about six weeks since I saw them last, and I know the next time gap will be much longer--either till Thanksgiving or Christmas.  But this will be the first time my parents and siblings will see our apartment.  I have a list on the fridge of what cleaning I want to do before they arrive (and, gulp, I only have three days to finish it!).  I really want my mother, especially, to see that I'm a capable housekeeper and can keep a house clean!  (Mom, if you read this, yes, this is what's going through my mind.)

The house needs cleaning anyway: picking up, dusting vacuuming, etc.  The bathroom got cleaned yesterday; it's always so nice to have a clean bathroom!  This morning I want to get the living room tidied up, dusted and vacuumed.  It really shouldn't take long.  :)

It's not that I'm trying to impress my family...well, I am, to be honest.  And I like having a clean house, so that's a benefit for Hubby and me, too.  But I know I don't have to have a sparkling house to impress my family.  They know I can be messy.  They know I'm not perfect.  They love me anyway, and I know they would whether my house was clean or a disaster!

God is like that.  He looks into our lives and sees the best and the very worst of us.  I sometimes wonder what I'll be doing when Christ returns.  I hope I'll be doing something that's pleasing to him.  But I can't impress God.  He knows how sinful I can be; how disobedient I am to him sometimes (often), how unperfect I am.  But he loves me anyway, whether I'm "good" or not!  The truth is, when God looks at me, he doesn't see sinful, flawed me.  He sees the righteousness of Jesus, which covers me because of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross and his glorious resurrection.  He sees the sinless, perfect glory of his Son, even as he knows that I'm a sinner.  He sees the me whom he has forgiven, and continues to forgive daily.

When my parents arrive, they won't care about dust and crumbs on the furniture and floors; they love me because I'm me, not because I can do everything right.  Now, that doesn't mean I shouldn't strive to have a clean house, and to have everything in order!  Just because God loves and forgives us unconditionally doesn't mean we can do whatever we want regardless of whether it's pleasing to God or not.  We obey, love, serve and honor him simply because he is God.  And I want to love, serve and honor my family because they are my family!

So, with that encouragement in mind, I'm going to start getting things done around here!! :)

I am forgiven.

Today I was lost and hopeless and despairing in my own sinfulness.  I am so unfaithful to God, and when I insist on having my own way it's only the worse for me.

I opened my Bible at random, and since God works in wonderful ways, it fell open at Isaiah 64, and I began reading at verse 6, reading it as a personal prayer to God:

"I have become like one who is unclean, and all my righteous acts are like filthy rags; I shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind my sins sweep me away.  No one calls on your name or strives to lay hold of you; for you have hidden your face from me and made me waste away because of my sins."

This Law broke and humbled me.  This is exactly how I was feeling.  I haven't been seeking out God, and I have become like one who is unclean because of my sin.  But I couldn't stop there.  Isaiah continues in verses 8 and 9,

"Yet, O LORD, you are my Father.  I am the clay, and you are the potter; I am the work of your hand.  Do not be angry beyond measure, O LORD; do not remember my sins forever.  Oh, look upon me, I pray, for I am yours."

He is my Father.  He has made me.  And I know he will not remember my sins forever.

Flipping my Bible to where a piece of paper caused it to open, I read from Colossians 1:13-14, "For he [God] has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."  (Emphasis mine.)

God has rescued me.  Through his Son, I am redeemed and I am forgiven.

Finally I turned to 1 John 1:8-9: "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."

Considering that where I began in Isaiah, I was unclean and all my righteousness was like filthy rags, look what God has done with me!  He has purified me from all unrighteousness!!!!

ALL my sins, every sin I've ever committed, has been washed away.  It's gone.  God has taken my sin away.

What have I learned from this?  That crying out to God and searching his word is the best thing I can be doing right now, when my own worries and troubles threaten to overwhelm me, when Satan tries to destroy me with despairing over my own wretched sinfulness.

God reminds me how much he loves me.  That he has forgiven me, of everything I've done, despite everything I've done.  He requires nothing from me for my salvation, and I believe that he has done what he says.

I am forgiven.  What blessed words those are!  I have no more guilt.  I can live in the joy of knowing that I am a saved, loved and forgiven daughter of God.

White as Snow

I was busy yesterday, all day- no time to post.  (But it was Sunday, so I went to church and Bible study!)

I will read Scripture and post this afternoon.  But this morning, it is so incredibly beautiful outside with all the SNOW!  (I will post some pictures this afternoon.)  Forty-eight hours ago, the Nebraska landscape was beautiful, but sad and dead-looking at the same time.  Now all the gray and brown outside is clean, pure, crisp white- and it's still snowing!

It's a lovely reminder of what Christ has done for us through his death and resurrection.  I was created by God, but in my sinfulness I would be sad and dead--but because Christ has lived, died and risen for me, and thus granted me his forgiveness, I am washed clean!  He has covered me with his pure and righteous blood, and God no longer looks on my sinfulness, but Christ's righteousness.  The most wonderful part is that the forgiveness keeps coming, not like the snow which will end in a few days or less, but I am daily forgiven and renewed by the love of Jesus.

Praise be to God for his mercy, grace and forgiveness!

On Forgiveness and -Not- Blogging

I'm frustrated with myself.  I mean, really.  It has been a week since I blogged last!  Which means I haven't done much in the way of Scripture reading lately either.

Once again, it's the old excuse of being too busy.  I really have been extremely busy; there are more things going on than I care to list.  On the other hand, I know that part of my neglect is simple laziness, which is one of my worst faults.

However, I learned something this morning when my beloved fiance was leading a Bible study at his dad's church.  My man talked about how God in Christ has paid for, covered, erased, and generally gotten rid of all our sins.  When we, by faith, believe that Jesus has taken our sin on himself and given us his righteousness, God looks at us and sees none of our sin, but only Christ's righteousness.  No matter how much or how often we sin, when we repent of that sin, God forgives us.  He loves us, no matter what!  He has even claimed us as his own children.  To be called a child of God is something I have been familiar with my whole life, but every now and then it really hits me.

The Creator of the universe calls me his child!!  His own daughter!  His heir, and one who will get to spend eternity with him in heaven!!

This doesn't mean I can just keep sinning, knowing I'll be forgiven.  Quite to the contrary: when we really realize what God has done for us, out of faith, love and gratitude we will respond by serving and obeying him to the best of our abilities.  We can't do that perfectly, no, but that's where God's forgiveness comes in again. It's a blessed, loving circle.

With the knowledge that I am God's child, one he has chosen, I can really apply Romans 8:28 to my life again.  Yes, this keeps coming up, but right now my honey isn't well at all, in fact he's not able to go to the last performance of our college's annual Christmas concert.  And my heart aches for him.  How I wish I was the one with the sinus infection instead of him!  But I keep reminding myself, God works all things for good  for those he has called according to his purpose.  In this too, God will work good.

Today, I am going to remember that I am a loved, forgiven, and saved child of God: one he has called for his purposes.

He is Righteous: Psalm 119:137-144

Righteous (as described by dictionary.com) means upright, morally right, virtuous.  I'd say to call God righteous is an understatement!  He defines what is upright, morally right, and virtuous.  And his righteousness surpasses anything anyone else could achieve.

That's how the psalmist describes God and his laws in this passage.  Verses 137 and 138 say,
"Righteous are you, O LORD, and your laws are right.  The statutes you have laid down are righteous; they are fully trustworthy."

God's laws are good.  Sometimes they might not seem so: they might seem strict, constricting, intolerant, old-fashioned.  The law causes frustration among those who try to uphold it, because it is so righteous that it is impossible to keep it completely.  However, if we look at the life of the One who did keep the law completely, we can see an example of how good it really is.  Jesus was that One who fulfilled every requirement of the law, and he was completely perfect and lived a sinless life.  Thank God he did: because he did that for us.  You and me.  He did it so that God would count us as righteous.  Paul writes in the book of Romans,

"Therefore no one will be declared righteous in [God's] sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.  But now a perfect righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets [that's the Old Testament] testify.  This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.  There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."  (Romans 4:20-24)

A rather long passage, but Paul explains it so well.  Through faith in Jesus his righteousness is imparted to us!  God's plan of salvation is so marvelous.

I had meant to comment on other verses in the psalm, but this post is getting long enough for today.  I did want to share something, however.  Last night at Praise (the student-led contemporary worship/devotions that we have every week here on campus), the two student speakers were talking about worry.  The passage was from Matthew 6, 25-34, where Jesus talks about not worrying.  Lately I've had a lot of homework, a lot of projects due, other decisions to make, things to figure out, future things to plan for, and I've been very stressed and worried about it.  One of the speakers made a great point.  When we focus on our worries, we lose sight of God and how powerful he is and what he can do for us.  When we focus on God, our worries are still there, but we realize that God is in control and that he is taking care of us.  It really hit me, and God's timing was great with having that message just when I needed it.

One verse from the Matthew passage actually ties in really well with the psalm passage for today:  "But seek first [God's] kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own."  Matthew 6:33-34

Today, I am going to seek God's righteousness, and know that by faith I am covered in the righteousness of Christ.