While we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
–Romans 5:6
The previous day and dare lead to no other conclusion that this. Thankfully, it’s a conclusion you can live with—today, tomorrow, and forever.
Jesus has come “to seek and to save” you (Luke 19:10). Everything you’ve failed at and haven’t been able to do, every minute you’ve wasted trying to fix things your own way—all of it can be forgiven and made right by putting your life into the hands of the One who first gave it to you. Maybe you’ve never done this. Then today is your day.
The Bible says we are sinful from birth, from the moment we arrive. “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me” (Psalm 51:5). “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment” (Isaiah 64:6). It’s not as though God sends innocent people to hell.We deserve it. We simply can’t be good enough to live with a pure and holy God.
However, “God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him” (I John 4:9). “Although He existed in the form of god, [He] did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant…He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:6-8). “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed” (I Peter 2:24). By His death, He made invalid the very idea that you are unloved and devalued. If you ever feel that way, you’re not looking at the cross. He proved His love for you there.
Love like this cannot be fully understood. “One will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:7-8).
Nor can love like this be earned. “The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).
But it must be received. “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation” (Romans 10:9-10).
And when you have received this new life and love as your own, you are free to love in ways you’ve never been capable before.
He was willing to love you even though you didn’t deserve it, even when you didn’t love back. He was able to see all your flaws and imperfections and still choose to love you. His love made the greatest sacrifice to meet your greatest need. As a result, you are able (by His grace) to walk in the fullness and blessing of His love. Now and forever.
This means you now share this same love with your spouse. You can love even when you’re not love in return. You can see all their flaws and imperfections and still choose to love. And though you can’t meet their needs the way God can, you can become His instrument to meet the needs of your spouse. As result, he or she can walk in the fullness and blessing of your love. Now and till death.
True love is found in Christ alone. And after you have received His gift of new life by accepting His death in your place and His forgiveness for your sins, you are finally ready to live the dare.
The Outcome: I accepted Christ into my heart when I was seven years old. That was twenty years ago. He came into my life and never left me. But, I left him. Or so I thought. Many times throughout those twenty years, I left him sitting in the deep corners of my heart. He was definitely not my number one priority at those moments. I couldn't enjoy experimenting with drugs with him in the forefront of my heart. I couldn't let him have a front-row view of that! I couldn't allow him to witness me losing my virginity! How embarrassing. I conveniently pushed him aside to sit in the corner while I had my night of fun. In the morning, I'd slide him back over and give him a better view of what was going on. It was for his own good. After all, it might hurt him if he sees me doing the things he came to save me from.
Sounds silly, huh? Maybe even childish. When we get honest though, we live that way sometimes. We makes choices to engage in things we know God would have us walk away from. Getting drunk and making a fool of ourselves. Loosing control during an argument and lashing your spouse with your words. What about the deep stuff? Adultery. Pornography. Drugs. The stuff people pretend don't exist and then gasp when they see it happen to someone else, as if they've never gotten their hands dirty.
"I can push God away long enough to get wasted tonight and sleep around."
"Maybe God is busy with other people long enough for me to look at this pornography."
"God won't mind me taking a hit, or fifty, off this joint...after all, he wants my mind to be at ease."
As a Christian, the hardest thing you'll ever do is willingly sin. At least at first, until you silence his voice enough to where you barely hear it anymore, let alone feel His presence in your heart. That's an awful place to be. I've been there. The worse part about it? He will come back. You will come to a point where it catches up to you, where you hear that gentle knock on your heart again, "Danielle, can I please come back into the center? It's awfully dark in this corner. I already know what happened. I already know what you did. Now, can I move back in so we can fix this?"
God is bigger than the walls of your heart. He sees everything. He knows everything. He knew before He died for you what mistakes you were going to make, how many times you would try and replace Him, and how many times you would come back. He did it for the times He knew you would return. Even if you gave him a backseat in your life for years, He gave His life for that one time you would return. Because that ONE time you come back, reeeeeallly come back, means a difference of life or death...forever.
Day Twenty: SUCCESS
Half way there...
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