Lost, guilty of sin, condemned, alone, wandering. and without hope. Such are all people without Christ as Savior. There is nothing we can do in ourselves to fill the void in our hearts and lives that is inherent within each person because of sin. However, in Christ everything changes for the individual. Where one was lost in sin, they are now found in Christ; once condemned, now justified; once alone, now part of God’s eternal family; once wandering and looking for meaning, now filled with purpose; once without hope, now filled with hope of eternity. “For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.” (Psalm 86.5). Change takes place in the believer because of who God is, because of the redeeming work of Jesus Christ, and the transforming work of the Spirit of God.
The Lord is “good.” All He does is good. There is no evil in Him, no harm, no mistakes; all is good. The Lord is “forgiving.” Forgiveness is not simply overlooking sin; it is not the avoidance of sin; it is not the acceptance of sin. Rather, forgiveness is the removal and cleansing of sin, the release of judgment because of sin, and the establishment of one as righteous. In forgiveness, the Lord accepts us as guilty sinners and makes us pure in His sight, cleansed thorough the blood of Jesus Christ. The Lord is “abounding in steadfast love.” This is the essence of who He is; this is the foundation of all He does; this is the basis of our redemption; this is the goal of Christ’s obedient death on the Cross. His love for His own abounds; it is limitless and ever overflowing in our lives; it is full and complete, never coming to an end. He loves us, not because of who we are, but because of who He is; He loves us to make us what we can be, only in Christ; He loves us and draws us to Himself, making us His own eternally, calling us God’s children, and giving us a complete and un-tarnishing inheritance. May we ever call upon Him, look to Him, and gratefully humble ourselves before Him.
Recipients of His abounding love – we have much to be thankful for –
Terry Burlingame
My Morning Desk 