December 23 Devotion

Naughty or Nice?

Sometimes we do see ourselves as one or the other. But remember that when God looks at us, He sees us from a very different perspective. Remember that God is infinite, ever-present, all knowing, and all powerful. God sees us through all of time, from the perspective of the cross. Picture in your mind, if you will, the moment of the cross. Maybe, like you are perched up on the top above Jesus. To your left is all of time before the cross, to your right is all of time after the cross. For the sake of our human understanding, let’s say that to your left you see from creation to the cross and to your right you can see from the cross to Christ’s return when we are all in Heaven (or Hell for those who do not choose to follow Christ.)

When Jesus looks at you (to his right in our example,) He sees your whole life all at once. From the cross. He sees all of your screw-ups at the same time that He sees all of your good choices, sacrifices, faith, etc. He doesn’t see you as naughty or nice, he sees you as naughty and nice. And none of that gets you anything but His love. Ok, maybe your faith does get you salvation, but, it doesn't make him love you any more or any less. When He sees your past mistakes, failures, bad choices, etc., He sees it already forgiven. He sees your naughtiness/sin in the light of your redemption. He sees your current bad habit, hurt or hangup already set free/healed. He sees your failures from the viewpoint of success. He sees your messed up self, cleansed and in Heaven.

We can’t see the way He does but it is a good exercise to remind ourselves that He sees all of us, all at once; the good and the bad, failures and victories, all at once. Maybe, this will help us wrap our heads around his Amazing Grace, Unfailing Mercy, and Boundless, Perfect Love.

Ephesian 1:4-14 “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ. In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.”

Ephesians 2:4-9 “All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.”