A Raw Embrace

Grace and Peace in Christ Jesus!

Recently, I have been able to experience the love of Jesus in a profound way through sin. Seems counterintuitive right? Sin is supposed to create a divide between you and God right? Wrong.

“But where sin increased, grace abounded all the more” Romans 5:20

See, all my life I would try to polish myself off from the residue of sin before I approached God. Although I had been told countless times that Jesus accepts you as you are, I would still try to smooth out the ruffles of sin and guilt before I called out to Jesus. It was not until I had no choice but to run to Jesus battered, bruised and unrecognizable under the blemish of sin, that I experienced His love like never before. 

As I sat defeated and condemned, I was reminded of the heart of God that can love you at your very worst. So I approached reluctantly, fully prepared to be rejected because maybe I would be the first one in all of history to be unlovable even by God. Afterall, it was my choices that brought me here, and the world teaches you to take responsibility for your actions, so now it was my burden to bear.

Nevertheless, I reached out for God. 

"Since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" Romans 3:23-24

In my brokenness, worthlessness and complete failure, God responded by confidently clothing me with dignity and love. That was the moment I realized: when Jesus spread out His arms on that cross to die, it was to bridge the gap created by sin. Now, even in a state of sin that results in utter hopelessness and despair, the love of God embraces you as though you are His most prized possession and the only source of His heart’s joy.

"But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us" Romans 5:8

Lord Jesus, when we feel broken beyond repair (Ps 147:3) to the point that we can’t even accept ourselves, assure us of the nature of Your love for us. A love that knows no limits, a love beyond our wildest imagination which jealously seeks us out of the darkest pit. Lord, let this love of Yours compel us to always run to you in confidence, knowing that Your love sustains us.

“There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” Luke 15:7