Very few of us know anything about conviction of sin. We know the experience of being disturbed because we have done wrong things. But conviction of sin by the Holy Spirit blots out every relationship on earth and makes us aware of only one— “Against You, You only, have I sinned…” (Psalm 51:4). When a person is convicted of sin in this way, he knows with every bit of his conscience that God would not dare to forgive him. If God did forgive him, then this person would have a stronger sense of justice than God. God does forgive, but it cost the breaking of His heart with grief in the death of Christ to enable Him to do so.

The great miracle of the grace of God is that He forgives sin, and it is the death of Jesus Christ alone that enables the divine nature to forgive and to remain true to itself in doing so. It is shallow nonsense to say that God forgives us because He is love. Once we have been convicted of sin, we will never say this again. The love of God means Calvary— nothing less! The love of God is spelled out on the Cross and nowhere else. The only basis for which God can forgive me is the Cross of Christ.

It is there that His conscience is satisfied.Forgiveness doesn’t merely mean that I am saved from hell and have been made ready for heaven (no one would accept forgiveness on that level). Forgiveness means that I am forgiven into a newly created relationship which identifies me with God in Christ. The miracle of redemption is that God turns me, the unholy one, into the standard of Himself, the Holy One. He does this by putting into me a new nature, the nature of Jesus Christ.

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November 19 2015

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Good morning God and thank you for this devotional. This lesson echoes the awareness that our gift of salvation also comes with a newly created relationship with You in and through Christ. Thank You for that reminder this morning; the reminder that with our salvation comes an intimate relationship with You that comes from identification with Jesus on the cross.  We are in a relationship that is full of love, hope, mercy, grace and power; one that gives us faith and hope for a more abundant life, even inside our trials and difficult circumstances. A relationship that gives us a “knowing”. Being able to rest in the awareness that You are God and You work all things for the good of those that love the Lord and are called according to His purpose.

And God says…”When you seek first the kingdom of God, which is Jesus, I provide everything else you require; including the capacity for faith, hope and love in the middle of trials and difficult times. When you identify with the cross, are surrendered and connected with Me, you experience a peace and become aware that the abundant life is not about material things, although you begin to learn that I will meet all your needs. The abundant life is a life undeterred by the noise of struggles, doubt and concern, because you just “know” that I am God and I am good all the time. You just “know” that when you let go of your life, and only when you let go of your life, I can and will catch you, always. Your trials simply become your tools and teachers.”

“And when you cannot identify with the cross of Jesus, when you can only see the difficult circumstances surrounding you and yours, remember that I can bridge that gap for you as well. Simply ask for My help. Believe, and I will help you in your unbelief.”