I was constantly running my life by other people, asking for their opinion on so many things. It was really confusing, frustrating, a very trying life.
Where did this crazy idea come from?
Someone else was often interrupting the decisions I had been making in my life. This constant fear would grip me. As a result, I found myself not really doing much of anything anymore.
Yet the problem goes back to righteousness.
I didn't know about this precious gift. I never realized that God not only has made me as righteous as His Son.
This is a righteousness which He exhorts us to receive and keep receiving:
"For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which
receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life
by one, Jesus Christ." (Romans 5:17)
That word "receive" is in the present progressive tense, which mean "who are receiving."
I never realized that this gift is something that we are called to keep receiving, and keep receiving even when we sin, even when we fail.
Yet this revelation is commensurate with what Paul writes at the end of Romans 5:
"Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But
where sin abounded, grace did much more abound" (Romans 5:20)
Even when we sin, we fail, we fall short of the glory of God, His grace superabounds on us.
This is not a call to sin, but a demonstration that God's grace is greater than man's sin.
If man's sin could overpower God's grace, Jesus would have never come to the earth to die for us and to live for us!
"11For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared
to all men, 12Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we
should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; 13Looking
for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our
Saviour Jesus Christ; 14Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from
all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." (Titus 2:11-14)
I am not blessed by God because I am good.
I am blessed because God is good, and His Son has taken us into Himself!
"And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself
by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;" (2 Corinthians 5:18)
We don't have to second-guess anymore with fear that if we make a mistake, that we are lost and out of fellowship, or something.
We have already been reconciled to God the Father through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
Now, when I am faced with difficult decisions, how do I deal with it? Before, it was nothing but inaction and frustration. I just feared the worst all the time. I was so dependent on someone else telling me "good" or "bad" about any decision I made. Would I have to depend on someone else after the fact giving me the OK?
No! We don't have to settle for that. God guides us now by His peace in us!
"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as
members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful." (Colossians 3:15, NIV)
"Rule" speaks of a judge presiding over a case. If there is no peace about something, then don't do it.
I didn't feel peace for a long time because I was constantly worried about God being unhappy with me doing something that He would or would not approve of.
Now that I know that His never-ending gift of righteousness assures His peace with me, and mine with Him, I can allow His peace to act as a guide, a judge, an umpire in every case, in every decision.
Let's remember that our starting point with God is peace:
"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ:" (Romans 5:1)
and
"For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken
down the middle wall of partition between us;" (Ephesians 2:14)
Let's rest in the truth of God's gift of righteousness. We need never fear that God will be angry with us again. We should never have a sense of fear or foreboding towards God. His peace is our constant now.
We need never play second-guessing ever again!
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