Experiencing God's Presence #211

Experiencing God's Presence #211

He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.

Psalm 103:12

We are sinners saved by grace. We know that. It’s the underlying truth we embraced when we came into the Kingdom. But many of us remain there, with that descriptor as our identity. It’s always our current status. We forget to move on to “child of the King” or “co-inheritor with Jesus” or “ruling with Him from His throne.” All of these descriptors are biblical too, but we can remain so conscious of our sinfulness that we never feel empowered to rise above it. We depend on the fact that we are saved without realizing we are saved for a great purpose.

We need to understand that salvation isn’t the ultimate objective. Salvation is the entrance into the Kingdom, not the final result. When we’re born physically, we enter a life full of promise and destiny. But many of us don’t see the same dynamic in being born again. We’re like babies constantly celebrating our birth rather than looking ahead to the great Kingdom exploits we’re called to do. And one of the main reasons for that shortsightedness is an obsessive focus on the darkness and death from which we were redeemed rather than the light and life into which we have been brought.

God’s Presence brings life. God doesn’t hold our sins in front of our faces and constantly remind us where we came from. He removes them as far as the east is from the west, presumably too far for us to hang on to them. We can be grateful for God’s grace and remember why we needed it, but God doesn’t want us dwelling on our sin. He wants us to enjoy Him, adventures in His Kingdom, and victories over His enemies. And He sent our sins so far away that we can.

Lord, thank You for the freedom of not having to think about my sin anymore. Thank You for the invitation to enjoy life in Your Kingdom, safe and secure in Your love.