Day 146 "Christ: The Soul Sanitizer"

Everywhere we go, everything we touch, seems to draw out the hand sanitizer to

do away with a potential exposure to the Coronavirus. We can't see the pathogens, those microorganisms that can cause disease. So we find it best to be overly cautious and overly protective to keep ourselves and our loved ones protected and healthy. But it isn't accomplished without some degree of anxiousness and concern: Did I get it all?

Our Christian lives can be seen in the same light. Those of us who are driven to continue to do good works, discipline ourselves to pray often and to maintain a consistent quiet time, strive to convert non-believing people into followers of Christ, seek out penitents for our wrong doings, continue to do so in the belief that there might be a sin or two still uncovered when it comes time to stand before God on one's judgement day. We can't see our actual sins-we can see our actions and ramification of our actions. But, to determine that there is no sin still clinging to me, this still allows room for anxiety and nervous concern. What lies at the heart of this unknowing is the belief that all of our sins, those past, present, and future were not fully covered by Christ when he died for us upon the cross, primarily are future ones!

Many Christians believe that their sins were forgiven past and at the present time when they accepted Christ into their lives as their Lord and Savior. But not our future ones. As for our future sins, God gave us a forgiveness ATM machine in the verse 1 John 1:9-

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify

us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9

The verse 1 John 1:9 was given to provide an outlet for our new sins as they occur, or so we believe. But what about the unconfessed sin, or something done just moments before your life is unfortunately taken? Are all your sins fully covered? To believe in eternal salvation without believing that all of your sins (past, present, and future) are completely covered when we accept Christ into our lives as our Savior is foolishness to the world. If sins separate us from a holy and just God, even if it is just one sin left uncovered, then without us being holy and completely righteous in God's sight we are unqualified to enter into a relationship with him. So, many Christians continue onward in their Christian walk burdened down by the sense of commitment and the weight of rules and regulations trying to make sure that there are no sins unconfessed, often missing the mark in their own attitudes and actions with other people creating even more regret and remorse than before. Where is the joy? Where is the peace?

The great news is that Jesus made you completely holy (past, present, and future) when he died on the cross and you accepted him as your savior.

"He set aside the first to establish the second. And by that will, we have been made

holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." Hebrews 10:9-10

"by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations." Ephesians 2:15

"He forgave us all our sins, having cancelled the written code, with it regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross."

Colossians 2:13-14

"Therefore there is now no condemnation for those in Christ." Romans 8:1

"The righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who

believe. (and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came

by Christ Jesus.)" Romans 3:22,24

"Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same

family." Hebrews 2:11

"He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the

Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption."

Hebrews 9:12

I was a practicing, card carrying believer of 1 John 1:9 forgiveness for my currently committed sins for some forty plus years. I can assure you that over that time period I have had my share of anxiety and angst wondering from time to time if I have covered all my sins and continued in my Christian walk motivated out of the wrong reason- motivated mostly out of fear and not out of the freedom of love. But over the last few years my Christian journey lead me across the pathway of new understanding that awaited me like a dry parched land receiving newness and life from a quenching rain. I was made holy in God's sight by what Christ did for me upon the cross. That holiness depending not on one iota of my effort or performance. By faith, and faith alone, was this righteousness incurred by me. Completely, one hundred percent covered (past, present, and everything that would ever take place in my future) was fully covered by Christ's blood. To believe anything different will subject your Christian walk to your performance and your own attempt towards righteousness, which the Bible already declares that each of us are unable to do. Jesus completely did what we could not do for ourselves. It is, as if, Jesus provided us with a one time usage of hand sanitizer which would forever make us safe and impenetrable to the Coronavirus or any other such virus that would ever come our way. In Christ, and through Christ, ALL of our sins have been forgiven. In one act, in one fell swoop, God dispensed the whole forgiveness account upon us. We are totally forgiven in Christ of any unrighteous- ness, forever! This understanding is where your peace and joy will reside.

God's grace and love is at the heart of the gospel. God desires to have a personal, intimate relationship with you, now, here on Earth. To think and believe otherwise will subject your relationship with God to one of a taskmaster-servant relationship. This is not at all what the Bible describes. Instead, the relationship is depicted as us being co-heirs with Christ, heirs to God's kingdom. I don't know about you, but as for me, to know that I can't screw this up and that God's love for me is unconditional and unmerited, opens up the floodgates of joy and peace for my soul. Christ is, and ever will be, the sanitizer of my soul.

*******************************************************************************

"Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." Hebrews 4:16

God love for us through Christ has lifted our veil and made it plain to see. God created us to enjoy a relationship with him, not merely to be subjects dutifully bound to servitude and

worship. When loves lights up the pathway, freedom abounds and fear cowers back into the shadows.

In his love, see you tomorrow in his light...

Carpe Momentum In Love (Seize the moment in love)