Picture yourself walking alongside him. You earnestly inquire, “You and me, we’re good, right?”.
Jesus smiles kindly, you exhale with relief, and he affirms, “We’re all good”.
Seeking further assurance, you hasten to add, “I had to go and talk to our Dad about that bad habit, you know?”.
“Yes, I know. And we’re all good.”
And then he holds out his fist, you tap yours against it and all is right in your world.
Can maintaining a sweet and unhindered relationship with God be this simple?
It’s true that our stubborn disobedience causes a wedge between us, but we seem prone to fixate on the divide, rather than the fact that God waits for us on the other side.
Scripture reminds us that, while common to us all, failure is not insurmountable “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (Rom 3:23-24).
Note, there’s no full-stop in the middle of that statement.
Neither is your sin a full-stop to friendship with God. Your mistakes aren’t an obstacle too great for grace to overcome.
“The glory of God’s faithfulness is that no sin of ours has ever made Him unfaithful” (Charles H. Spurgeon).
God remains faithful when you’re not, even when you choose unsafe paths, or behave dreadfully.
Therefore, there’s no good reason to keep your distance once you realise you’ve strayed, messed up, tripped up … again.
“But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins …” (1 John 1:9).
You honour God’s faithfulness to forgive when you hasten to return after losing your way.
“See if there is any path of pain I’m walking on, and lead me back to your glorious, everlasting way— the path that brings me back to you” (Psa 139:24).
~ Contributed by Pastor Lynette Kay of Ignite Life Church, on behalf of the Combined Churches of Deniliquin.
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