Have you ever felt like a failure, maybe you’ve disappointed people, and God? Having a hard time living up to people’s expectations? Do you struggle with feelings of unworthiness, shame, and guilt? Do you feel neglected, unnoticed, that the world is passing you by? Does the feeling of inferiority plague you? Do you see others blessed by God and not you? Do you feel you wish you were further along in life? More blessed, more prosperous, more successful, and enjoying life? I think we have all felt this way at some point in our lives. I know I have.
Do you know the Devil will always paint a bad picture of your life? He will remind you of all your failures and disappointments. The Bible says He is the “accuser of the brethren” (Rev. 12:10). He has nothing good to say and is the father of lies( John 8:44). He lies to you, he lies about God, and he lies and twists the Word of God. Will we see our lives through the lens of God’s Word or the accuser? Will we walk in truth or lies? The devil always wants to distort your perception of God, to put God on trial. That God is unfair and unjust, withholding things from you. You have to be perfect and never mess up, or God will punish you in some way.
Jesus came and he gave a different picture of God. He said, “If you’ve seen me, you’ve seen the Father”( John 14:9). How does the Bible picture Jesus? Acts 10:38 (NKJV)-38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. He went about doing good. God’s heart is always to do good! He wants to do good things for you. The Greek word for good is be philanthropic :(Strong’s Dictionary). It means to be generous, benevolent, charitable, and big-hearted. Apostle James tells this about God: James 1:17 (NKJV)-17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. God never changes in how He feels about us. He loves us unconditionally (Hebrews 13:8). He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Malachi 3:6). He doesn’t change!
The Apostle Paul gives us more insight into the love of God in his writing. He tells the Church at Ephesus that they are “accepted in the beloved”( Eph. 1:6). This is past tense. Something already done in Christ. This acceptance is based not on our performance but on Christ’s performance. It is not by our works or self-righteousness. Whether the world accepts us or not, God does. Whether we feel accepted or not, it is a biblical truth. We need to accept it by faith. When we do, feelings or emotions will follow. We walk by faith and not just by physical senses( 2 Cor. 5:7). Knowing this strikes a death blow to feelings of unworthiness, inadequacy, and inferiority. God accepts us solely on what Jesus has done for us at the cross. This is right now and has already been accomplished in Christ. Say with me right now,” I am accepted in the beloved who is Christ!”
Another truth that Apostle Paul shares with us is that we are complete in Christ. Colossians 2:9-10 (NKJV)-9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. Apostle Paul addressed both Jewish and Gentile believers in Christ. Some Jews taught that Jesus is fine, but you need to be circumcised, follow the customs and rituals, to obey the whole Mosaic law to be truly saved. For Gentiles, some taught that you need intermediaries to approach God. Jesus is fine, but you need secret knowledge; you need to ascend through angelic beings, different principalities, and worship of angels. Because God is holy and we are evil, we need to go through stages to be accepted by God. At each level, getting more righteous and holy. ( The Heresy of Gnosticism) In context, Apostle Paul is saying that Jesus is enough. That we are complete in Christ. That we are righteous in Him( 2 Cor. 5:21). All other religions are solely based on works. What you have to do to be saved or be accepted by God other than to believe and accept what Christ has done on your behalf (Rom. 10:9-10).
Christ’s fullness overflows within us. You are complete, fulfilled, made full of the Spirit of Christ the moment you were Born Again( Gal. 4:6). Nothing is lacking in Christ. No lack of love, no lack of grace, no lack of forgiveness, and no lack of healing. There is nothing to add to Christ. You don’t need customs, ceremonies, or rituals. You don’t need secret knowledge, just Jesus! You are in Christ, and in Christ dwells the fullness of God. That’s why we can say,” greater is He that is in than he that is in the world, speaking of Satan in the world. ( 1 John 4:4). We are partakers of the Divine nature of God(2 Peter 1:1-4). In Spurgeon’s Commentary, he writes this about being complete in Christ: Spurgeon gives a good definition of our completeness. He says we are (1) Complete without the aid of Jewish ceremony. (2) Complete without the help of philosophy. (3) Complete without the inventions of superstition. (Angels, secret knowledge) (4) Complete without human merit. (There is no fullness in these things and will always leave us empty.) Fullness in forgiveness, life, victory, and total sufficiency in Christ. He is my all in all! To have Christ is to have all of him, nothing lacking, all that Christ is to us! Savior and healer!! We are given fullness in Christ!
Do you see how valuable you are to God because of Christ? You are not a failure in Christ. In your Born Again spirit, you are accepted and complete, nothing lacking. You are not deficient in any way. You are righteous, holy, and blameless in Christ. Let this truth free you from condemnation, guilt, and shame! You are not invalid, unnoticed, passed by, inferior, or neglected by God. Knowing that you have right standing with God sets you free. It is not a freedom to live any way you want, to sin and disobey God, but you are empowered by His grace to live for Jesus! Empowered by the Holy Spirit who lives in you! The revelation of righteousness changes everything! Our value is not based on economics, social status, college degree, family, or personality. Jesus makes us worthy, accepted, and complete. In Psalm 139:14-18, it tells us we are fearfully and wonderfully made.
We are marked by God’s love. Jeremiah 29:11 (NKJV)-11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Do you see that? God thinks no evil of you! He only thinks good things about you! That is awesome! He has shed abroad his love into our hearts( Rom. 5:5). People may think less of us, people may reject us, but what matters most is what God thinks of us. God wants us to be rooted in His love(Eph. 3:14-19). All those feelings of inferiority, failure, unworthiness, guilt, shame, condemnation, and being unnoticed are oppression and lies from the Devil. We need to resist them in Jesus’ Name ( James 4:7, Rom. 8:1). These lies don’t minister life and peace in our lives( Rom. 8:6). We need to be spiritually minded, and that means to agree with what the Word of God says about us. This brings life and peace, both physically and emotionally. Philemon 1:6 (NKJV)-6 that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. We need to stop talking badly about ourselves and put the Word of God back in our mouths. Proverbs 6:2 (NKJV)-2 You are snared by the words of your mouth; You are taken by the words of your mouth. All those negative feelings and emotions are a trap of the enemy. Sometimes we need to speak the truth in love to ourselves. To do a check-up from the neck up.
In closing, God only takes a view of you through the eyes of Jesus! How wonderful is that! You are the apple of His eye. He died and shed His blood for you! That is true love. Romans 5:8-9 (NKJV)-8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. This is good news! Your value is not based on personal holiness, self-righteousness, religious works, or good behavior, but on what Jesus did on the cross for you in redemption. We need to rest in His love. John 15:9 (NKJV)-9 “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. Let God’s love wash and renew you today. Colossians 3:1-3 (NKJV)-1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
Open the treasure of God’s Word and find out who you are in Christ! His Word is a spiritual mirror reflecting back to you the value that you are in Gods’ eyes. 2 Corinthians 3:18 (NKJV)-18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
In Christ’s love;
Brent and Linda
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