Its Easter; and whilst I have been extremely busy for a while now, I feel it very important and pertinent that I share with you what I believe the Lord wants to reveal to His people to free us from a law mentality into the fullness of a life of His grace. Remember how it is often taught that when you are are born again, God wipes away the slate of your sin and mistakes and gives you a clean slate and a second chance?
It has so often to my ears at least stressed that we have a clean slate, a new break, a new beginning to start afresh and begin to do right? While I believe it has been spoken in good faith, my friend this is not the correct information…
You do not get a clean slate when you are born again so that with your own effort you can try again to do right and earn the favour and acceptance of God: so that you begin to try to deserve to have God answer your prayers and desires because of the righteous life you will now be living. You can a slate on which a perfect manuscript has already been written, one that needs no addition nor would you ever dream of adding on where you to realise the sheer greatness of its beauty. The slate you get when you come to Jesus and are born again is not empty but it already full, written on with the complete work of Jesus Christ and filled with the perfect life that He lived.
You get a slate on which you are made righteous as a gift, on which what you have is the same measure of favour, acceptance and love with the father. You get a slate that says you as welcome in the depths of the father’s heart to the very same measure that Jesus was welcome, you as favoured as He is favoured and as loved as He is loved and this is before anything you will ever do. The slate is full because it is not your actions that accomplish this that you may boast and be proud in what you have done but it is the love of God to put you in this position because He actually wants to be close to you.
And this again is what is not quite right with the whole idea of “second chances.” because when you mess up again when you are born again? When maybe you cheat in your exam; or you for some reason are caught up in an old way of sexual immorality or you request a bribe yet again–it is so easy to be despondent and to ask how many second chances must God give me and to fall into depression and self loathing. Because part of how this has been taught still leaves my position of acceptance and belonging to God in my hands and hinged on my works. When that is not true; your acceptance, your favour, your position as a perfectly accepted child of the most High God does not rest with you but with the finished work of Christ that once and for all has paid the price for all the sins you will ever commit in your life: past, present and future. And it is the knowledge of this amazing grace that will give you the power to actually live victoriously; and not your own works-believe me the Spirit of God longs to work complete freedom in your life but you have to let Him for He will not force himself on you.
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| Couldn’t Find a better photo. Thought this would help |
So I will conclude by reiterating and bringing a few scriptures to reinforce this truth. Jesus took your slate, paid the price warranted for it in full by dying for and as you on the cross and in its stead, He has given you His slate. Your slate is not empty, it is full before God with the perfect life of Christ and the measure with which Christ is heard when He prays is the measure with which you are heard; the measure with which He is favoured, loved, accepted is the same measure with which you are loved, favoured and accepted. The same measure with which He belongs, is the measure with which you belong in the presence of God.
He was made sin that we might be made the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21)
We are accepted in the beloved (Jesus Christ). ( Ephesians 1:6)
We have the Spirit by which we cry Abba (Daddy) Father (Galatians 4:6)
He was made poor that we might be made rich. (2 Corinthians 8:9)
As many as believed in Him gave He the right to be called the Sons of God. (John 1:12)