Recently I started a new position at my job, and it was one that God seriously had His hand in, (but that's a whole different story in itself). Anyhoo, in the past week, I was just learning how to use this new calculator that I had never used before. It is one that prints what you type in on a piece of receipt-like paper. It prints in black ink, but when I messed up one time and had to clear it out, I noticed that it printed out in red ink. When you looked at the piece of receipt paper, it was obvious that I had made a mistake, because the red ink was the first thing that you saw on the piece of paper. Being that I was new, I made more than a few mistakes, and when I looked at the piece of paper and saw the red ink, I was slightly embarrassed, and I tried to cover up my mistakes quickly. I didn’t want people to judge me based on the mistakes I made.
How many people in their everyday lives look at themselves and only see the red ink? We all sin, every day, and after a while, the more we dwell on it, the more it defines us. Worse than that, we try to hide it. We try to act like everything is perfect, and that we don't make mistakes. Worse even than that, we try to hide it from God.
Some people are afraid that if God only knew the sin and mistakes that they have made in their lives, He could never love us or look at us the same again. However, there is good news!
Sin separates all of creation from God the Creator. Because He is holy, nothing unholy can come into His presence. In our sin and shame, we are lost. There is nothing we can do to earn our way into God's presence, there is nothing we can do to earn His favor. It all seems hopeless, but it's not.
God knew that we couldn't do anything to save ourselves, so He sent His One and Only Son Jesus Christ to live the life that none of us could ever live—a perfect life. Jesus came and lived a life with no sin, and then was brutally beaten and murdered for something that He didn't do. But why? Jesus did it for us. Because of His great love for us, He took the punishment we deserved so that we wouldn't have to suffer for our sin. And more than that, after three days, God rose Him from the dead. Now, Jesus is alive forever, and because of what He has done, we can accept Jesus as our Savior and have forgiveness and eternal life.
When you ask Jesus to become your personal Lord and Savior, all of you sin, shame, regret, past mistakes, it's all taken away! And it's not printed in red ink on some record somewhere ... it's completely erased! God doesn't even remember your sin anymore! It's washed away in His grace. We don't deserve it, yet God invites us into His family and into His eternal Kingdom through Christ's sacrifice and resurrection. This promise extends to me and you, no matter what you've done or who you've been, you can be forgiven. You can start anew. Your sin can be traded for Christ's perfection. Your regret can be traded for the joy Jesus gives. Your shame can be traded for the freedom that we have in Him. All you have to do it believe that Jesus died and rose again for you and your sin. Everything you ever were or will be can be washed away and forgiven in the only red ink that matters ... the blood of Jesus.
To learn more about Jesus, please see the page called "What you need to know about Jesus today." If you have never received Christ into your life, or you have wandered and want to come back, I encourage you that the Heavenly Father is waiting with open arms for you to come to Him today. If you'd like to make this life changing decision, please pray this prayer today:
Dear God, I am hopeless without you. I am lost in my sin and there is nothing I can do to save myself. I need Your forgiveness. I believe that Jesus, Your perfect Son, came and lived a perfect life here on earth, and then was crucified for nothing He did wrong, but for all my sin and shame. I believe that He was buried and then risen from the grave by You three days later, and because of that, I can have forgiveness and eternal life. I ask that You would come into my life and be my God and Savior today and every day. Help me to live for you every day. In Jesus Christ’s name, amen.
If you have just prayed this prayer from your heart, I would like to welcome you into God's family! You are in good hands! Please feel free to contact me via twitter @stephaniejtay, visit the Contact Me page, or leave a comment below. I'd love to hear your story, questions, comments, or anything else on your mind. Thanks for reading, and God bless!
Also, please see the video below. It's a great song by Moriah Peters, one of my favorite artists. It goes hand in hand with this blog and is very encouraging.
Until next time,
Stephanie
How many people in their everyday lives look at themselves and only see the red ink? We all sin, every day, and after a while, the more we dwell on it, the more it defines us. Worse than that, we try to hide it. We try to act like everything is perfect, and that we don't make mistakes. Worse even than that, we try to hide it from God.
Some people are afraid that if God only knew the sin and mistakes that they have made in their lives, He could never love us or look at us the same again. However, there is good news!
Sin separates all of creation from God the Creator. Because He is holy, nothing unholy can come into His presence. In our sin and shame, we are lost. There is nothing we can do to earn our way into God's presence, there is nothing we can do to earn His favor. It all seems hopeless, but it's not.
God knew that we couldn't do anything to save ourselves, so He sent His One and Only Son Jesus Christ to live the life that none of us could ever live—a perfect life. Jesus came and lived a life with no sin, and then was brutally beaten and murdered for something that He didn't do. But why? Jesus did it for us. Because of His great love for us, He took the punishment we deserved so that we wouldn't have to suffer for our sin. And more than that, after three days, God rose Him from the dead. Now, Jesus is alive forever, and because of what He has done, we can accept Jesus as our Savior and have forgiveness and eternal life.
When you ask Jesus to become your personal Lord and Savior, all of you sin, shame, regret, past mistakes, it's all taken away! And it's not printed in red ink on some record somewhere ... it's completely erased! God doesn't even remember your sin anymore! It's washed away in His grace. We don't deserve it, yet God invites us into His family and into His eternal Kingdom through Christ's sacrifice and resurrection. This promise extends to me and you, no matter what you've done or who you've been, you can be forgiven. You can start anew. Your sin can be traded for Christ's perfection. Your regret can be traded for the joy Jesus gives. Your shame can be traded for the freedom that we have in Him. All you have to do it believe that Jesus died and rose again for you and your sin. Everything you ever were or will be can be washed away and forgiven in the only red ink that matters ... the blood of Jesus.
To learn more about Jesus, please see the page called "What you need to know about Jesus today." If you have never received Christ into your life, or you have wandered and want to come back, I encourage you that the Heavenly Father is waiting with open arms for you to come to Him today. If you'd like to make this life changing decision, please pray this prayer today:
Dear God, I am hopeless without you. I am lost in my sin and there is nothing I can do to save myself. I need Your forgiveness. I believe that Jesus, Your perfect Son, came and lived a perfect life here on earth, and then was crucified for nothing He did wrong, but for all my sin and shame. I believe that He was buried and then risen from the grave by You three days later, and because of that, I can have forgiveness and eternal life. I ask that You would come into my life and be my God and Savior today and every day. Help me to live for you every day. In Jesus Christ’s name, amen.
If you have just prayed this prayer from your heart, I would like to welcome you into God's family! You are in good hands! Please feel free to contact me via twitter @stephaniejtay, visit the Contact Me page, or leave a comment below. I'd love to hear your story, questions, comments, or anything else on your mind. Thanks for reading, and God bless!
Also, please see the video below. It's a great song by Moriah Peters, one of my favorite artists. It goes hand in hand with this blog and is very encouraging.
Until next time,
Stephanie