I thought I had done it... all day, I had the feeling that everything was taken care of. I thought I had done it early... turns out that was the day before.
I didn't confirm my failure till this morning. I still thought I had done it...
intentions... distractions... deceptions...
This morning, I woke from a dream. One of those that seems real until you try to remember it outside of sleep...then it's just pieces... there were elements of good intentions, seductive distractions, and subtle deception...
My distraction resulted in a friend's imprisonment... trapped in a sci-fi type game room with an evil game-master subjecting her to emotional torture. Attempting to help, I became trapped. Accusations hurled at me from the game-master... his words creating contemptuous chaos around us... I recognized the power of the words... I began a screaming match with him. For every accusation I yelled:
FORGIVEN!
FORGIVEN!
FORGIVEN!
Each time I yelled FORGIVEN! the latch on the door moved a notch. I continued to scream... the door opened and I was free. I witnessed to my friend... the game-master saw he had lost and fell ino a dejected state... I witnessed to him too. I even had a vision that if he would turn his life around he would become a professional football star... then I woke up... weird...
One phrase echoed through my head as I emerged from the world of sub-conscious: failed but forgiven.
There was a time when this type of failure (trivial as it may seem) would trap me in a pit of self-condemnation... the prince of this world having his way... paralyzing me from life.
Living in this broken world we will continue to fail, continue to sin...
For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do -- this I keep on doing.
Romans 7:19
I fail in much bigger ways than this... daily... judgmental thoughts and attitudes... unkind words... self-centered behavior...
In this case, I deceived myself into believing I had kept my committment.
Sometimes I'm seduced and deceived by others... others who are also deceived and seduced...
Seduced and deceived to break the law... even a personal "law" to post a daily blog...
But now a righteousness from God, apart from the law, has been made known... This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.
Romans 3:21, 22
In Christ we receive a righteousness outside ourselves... by faith we are justified... all sin forgiven...
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.
Romans 8:1, 2
Free in Christ by faith...
FORGIVEN!
FORGIVEN!
FORGIVEN!
Our wonderful, loving, Sovereign Savior not only forgives us, He works our failure for good...
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28
Do you feel trapped by a failure? multiple failures?
By faith in Christ face your accuser...
find freedom...
let God work it for good...
In His most glorious Name -- amen, amen, and amen!
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