Psalm 70-71 Romans 8:22-39

“Who can accuse the people God has chosen? No one, because God is the One who makes them right. Who can say God’s people are guilty? No one, because Christ Jesus died, but he was also raised from the dead, and now he is on God’s right side, appealing to God for us.” (Romans 8:33-34 NCV)

As Paul continued to talk about the superiority of the relationship with God we have in Jesus over the belief that some have that we need to follow the Law, he made the strongest point possible. Our relationship with God is so strong that no one and nothing can tear us away from God. People can’t drive a wedge between us and God by accusing us of sin, even if the accusation is accurate. Why? God is the one who’s already forgiven us. He knows all our sins, even the ones we haven’t committed yet and, He still loves us. In these verses, Paul pictures a courtroom scenario with God as the ultimate judge and Jesus, sitting beside Him reminding God that the penalty was already paid whenever one of God’s people is accused.

The hardest thing for me to understand about God is the overflowing abundance of grace and forgiveness He shows. Intellectually, I know that nothing I do has surprised God and that He forgives all my sins out of His love and grace. But when I consider the number of times that I fail Him; when I consider the depth and magnitude of my sins before coming into a relationship with God and after, I can’t imagine that God forgives me then. In my early years as a Christian, I can remember times when I wouldn’t take the Lord’s Supper in church as I thought about how unworthy I was because of my sin. I didn’t deserve to take part in this solemn observance because I was a sinner and had done nothing to get rid of that sin. As I thought about it one day while observing others taking the Lord’s Supper, I realized that was the whole point of the gospel. I not only hadn’t done anything about my sin, I couldn’t. Only God could. Only God could forgive me through grace. He knew me, my heart, and my deeds. Knowing all that about me, He still loves me. Jesus Christ went to the cross to pay the penalty for my sins not because I was good, or worthy of His grace, but because of His love and mercy. There can be no better gospel, good news, than that.

Lord, You know me even better than I know myself. To be honest, Lord, sometimes I think about my flaws and my sins, and I don’t think very highly of myself. I’m amazed at Your love and grace and thank You for loving me more than I can love myself. Help me to love You more, and to love others the way You love me.

Scripture taken from the New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved