Our pastor has done a remarkable job reminding us of God’s true character. God is love. Period.
God is not holding a long list of our mistakes and sins, just waiting to yell at us over our countless failures. In fact, we are the one holding the long list of our mistakes, and God just takes an eraser and removes it from His sight.
Something Pastor Steve Lawes said recently had tears streaming down my face. He told us Eve took sin from the tree, and that was the beginning of The Fall. (Genesis 4). But the beautiful thread of redemption is shown to us on the Cross. Jesus became sin for us, and put sin back on the tree … the Cross.
From tree to tree, we see where sin was taken down and where sin was put back up and dealt with, forever.
“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” - 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV)
Jesus had not an ounce of sin on Him, yet He took on our sin so in Him, we might become the righteousness of God.
Tree to tree.
Such a powerful image to ponder. And the enemy does not want you to give it a second thought. He wants to torment you with your hurt, your anger, your resentment, your shame, your guilt, your regret.
So you have a lot of regrets running through your mind. I get it. So do I. But do not think for a second our God is holding a long list of your mistakes/failures or sin. That's the enemy talking to you, and it's time to shut him up. We take our long lists of mistakes and sin to God, and you know what He does with them? He erases it, then rips up the list. No memory. No holding it over your head.
He only holds love over you, not shame. Rest easy in His love knowing God gave us Jesus to be our shame remover.
Tree to tree.