Defective but not Rejected

#chritianity #inspiration #sin #salvation #jesuschrist #redemption #bible #spirituality #encouragement #holyscripture #scripture #fallofman #truth

If you find it hard to believe that human beings are inherently imperfect, all you need to do is spend no more than five minutes with a toddler, or young child, and you'll soon be persuaded. Don't get me wrong, children are a gift and it's great to spend time with them, taking in their individual personalities, their perspective, and being refreshed by their seemingly inexhaustible energy, but after one of these 'sweet' stretches it's only a matter of time, and any parent can attest to this, before a 'sour' one is coming.

And I'm not even referring to one of these unpleasant stretches in behavior having been induced by hunger, or sheer exhaustion, because who doesn't misbehave when experiencing these circumstances, child, adult, or otherwise.

No, I'm referring to good old fashioned selfishness, self-centeredness, dishonesty, greed, and the like.

For who among us hasn't experienced a child trying to cheat at a game of sorry or candy land, am I right!?

Or who can't relate to a child who, after having been fed by your very labor and hand, wasn't willing to share one of their cookies or orange slices with one of their siblings or another child?

Yes, the fact of the matter is that practically every single one of us, if we're willing to be honest about our experience, can emphatically relate to these things.

But why use children as an example? Children are a great example of these things simply because they never have to be taught how to exhibit these defects of character, or behaviors. They don't need a tutorial on how to be impatient, or demanding, and they certainly don't need a how to on how to be selfish or possessive.

If you'll just remain honest and open minded, and continue to follow the vein of this example for a moment, can't we all readily admit that we ourselves have exhibited these symptoms of behavior as well? Can anyone honestly refute the notion that they haven't lied, or hid something from someone that they shouldn't have, or wanted what they wanted, when they wanted it, so badly that they threw a temper tantrum when they didn't get it?

And don't these petulant tantrums, and attitudes, and the subsequent actions that result from them, end up hurting those around us, and affecting their plans and desires as well?

I submit to you today that these examples of both symptom and behavior, cut right to the heart of one of the most fundamental questions that we face in this life as human beings, whether we want to or not, and that is the question of our fundamental imperfection, and sinfulness.

As the Bible clearly tells us in Romans Chapter 3:

"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."

First off, that begs the question, what is the "Glory of God?" Well, that is clearly a very lofty phrase that we will have to be careful to unpack, and ultimately attempt to define.

For the sake of simplicity, and brevity, I will offer what I consider to be the simplest and most effective working definition that I can.

Yes, this "falling short . . . " that the Bible speaks of does definitely involve the violation of at least one, if not many of the ten commandments. However, I believe that it is a big mistake to start with the ten commandments, because the narrative of the Bible doesn't start with them either, and God's intended order for our lives is one of an "inside out" logic, not an "outside in" logic.

I submit to you that "The Glory of God" is a multifaceted statement, and Spiritual reality.

The Bible says that "God is Spirit," and that "All who worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in truth."

However the pages of Scripture also clearly tell us that even though we, (as created human beings,) originally had a fellowship and intimate relationship with this Spirit, who is God, when Adam and Eve sinned in the garden of Eden however, this intimate connection with God was not only severely damaged, but lost. The grave repercussions that came from this reality, resulted in human beings lacking the power to take the necessary dominion over their own fleshly and base desires to accomplish only their own self-centered agendas, and calamity has ensued not only within individuals, but within nations comprised of these individuals, and in the world at large ever since.

We indeed need not look any further than the first book of the Bible, the book of Genesis, for the first documented murder in human history. The story of Cain and Abel tells us plainly of the perils of envy, and how if left unchecked, that terrible fleshly pull can drive one even to premeditated murder.

We could go on and on, continuing to enumerate all of the ways in which man has fallen woefully short of God's standards, from Jacob stealing his brother's birthright, to David the king of Israel orchestrating the murder of one of his most faithful soldiers, only to steal his wife and this commit adultery with her.

But, there is good news!

God saw us in our wretchedness and weakness, and although He was heartbroken, disappointed, and yes even angry at times at our behavior, He didn't leave us without a rescue plan; He sent His one and only Son, Jesus Christ to live and die for the remission of our sins!

Yes, our very creator loved us so much that He provided us with another option, but God is also a gentleman, and having given us free will, He refuses to dominate us and make us choose Him. His heart's desire is that we freely, out of love, choose Him back as a response to His first having loved us.

In the Gospel of John, chapter 3, Jesus clearly articulates how this regenerative process by which we become saved occurs.

"Jesus answered him, (Nicodemus) “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

Being born of "the Spirit" as Jesus describes it, is the very way by which one allows the Glory of God to be manifested by The Holy Spirit, in and through his or her self and life.

The Spirit of God then, as continuously nurtured through a robust commitment to Prayer, meditation on and study of scriptures, worship, and fellowship with other believers, empowers him or her to have the desire, and the ability to live a righteous life, and ultimately do the good works that He has assigned for them to do, in His name.

Ephesians chapter 2 describes the right order of this very same process:

8 "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

Being saved therefore, as the book of Ephesians accurately describes it, comes before doing the good works. I can't emphasize enough how key this point is!

One of the biggest stumbling blocks that I have myself experienced in coming to The Lord 24 years ago, and that I have seen many people encounter that keeps them from receiving Christ as their personal Lord and Savior, is this backward logic that we have to 'make ourselves right' in order for God to be interested in us. Nonsense! We can't make ourselves right and God knows that, that's exactly why He sent us His only Son! That if we woukd be willing to receive Him as Savior we could be made new, and be open to receive His power, which is the very means by which any of us are transformed.

As a preacher once said: "An apple tree doesn't clench it's proverbial fists, or branches, and say to itself with angst and frustration in it's voice, straining with every fiber in it's being, ""C'mon! Produce fruit, produce fruit!""

No, not at all. An apple tree in a way has it better than we do, because it doesn't have the ability to doubt. It simply is who it is and it naturally allows the sun to nurture it with it's rays, and the rain to minister to it's roots, and nature's inherent process to seamlessly take effect, and miraculously, as a natural byproduct of being itself, beautiful fruit emerges!

If this is true in the natural realm, how much moreso should it be in The Spiritual realm!?

2 Corinthians 5:17, and John 15 , describe God's intended Spiritual reality for us beautifully:

2 Corinthians 5:17, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come The old has gone, the new is here!"

John 15: 5-8, "I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples."

Again, as the scriptures tell us, once you genuinely come to believe in Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, and repent or turn from your sinful way of life, and receive by Grace through Faith, His Spirit, life, and nature, it transforms your Spirit, heart, and nature, and life, making you a new creature in Him! This doesn't completely change your personality, or gift-mix, or skillset, because God gave those things to you when He created you to begin with, and He doesn't make mistakes! However, what it does do is sanctify and change who you are, and gives you the desire and the Power to use them for His purposes and glory, helping others with them in the process!

We also again see in this beautiful depiction that Jesus gives us in John chapter 15 that "He is the vine, and we are the branches, and that apart from Him we can do nothing, but if we remain in Him He will produce good fruit through us. What a relief! You don't have to worry or live a 'white knuckle' brand of Christianity, where you are constantly struggling to produce fruit on your own. Anyone who has tried that knows full well that it is an operation in futility to say the least.

It is actually The Holy Spirit, or the Spirit of Christ living in you, that produces the fruit in and through you, automatically!

I hope that something within this article resonated with you, and perhaps explained, simplified, or clarified something important for you, related to our inherent imperfection, or sinfulness as human beings.

As a wise old man once told me twenty four years ago, "if the word sin is too much for you, try replacing it with defects of character at first, because it's basically the same thing, and causes the same dysfunction in your life. But, at the end of the day, you can change the label on the outside of a bottle, but it doesn't change the contents on the inside of it. Sooner or later if you want enduring and lasting peace in your heart and life, you will have to confront and address the issue of sin, and its remedy."

Whether defects or sins, we all need a remedy for them, and left to our own devices, we are powerless to get rid of them, and live a life of peace with God, ourselves and others, on our own. We need a Savior, and God sent us one in His Son Jesus Christ!

As Romans 5:8 tells us, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

God loves you so much that it would be impossible for you to calculate!

If you haven't received Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, I really want to give you the opportunity right here.

If you really mean it, just repeat this simple Prayer after me:

"Jesus I believe in you. I know that I'm a sinner.

Please forgive me of all of my sins, and cleanse me by Your blood that you shed for me from Your cross at Calvary.

I receive you now as my personal Lord and Savior!

I thank you that I am now forgiven of my sins! I thank you that I am now a child of God, reconciled to my heavenly Father through You, Lord.

Live in me, and empower me to do you will, from here on out,

In Your Holy, Mighty, and All-powerful name Jesus, I Pray, Amen!!!

Congratulations! Heaven is rejoicing that you are now a child of God whose name is now written forever in The Lamb's Book Of Life, and heaven is indeed your home!

Please let us know in the comments section that you gave your life to Christ, and we would love to Pray for you, and get please get yourself a Bible, and find a Bible believing Church (whether in person or online) that resonates with you, and try to find some other believers to talk to and have fellowship with!

Those fundamental elements will help you build and solidify an unshakable foundation upon which the rest of your walk with God can rest!

Feel free also to check back in here at this blog or others like it for edification, encouragement, and support, and please feel free to ask any questions whatsoever that you would like to pertaining to your faith journey.

We Love you, and may God Bless you, and keep you on your journey! 🙏🏼♥️🙌🏼