The Embrace part 2
When we were yet sinners--when we were unbelievers, and literally couldn't believe that God loved us--He showed us love for us by opening His arms wide on the cross. By gripping us in a loving embracing and proving that He will never let us go. God didn't wait for us to "clean up our acts," or, "walk an aisle" and come to Him. He came to us. He came right down into the mess that WE had made of our lives and He presented us to Himself as a bride without spot, wrinkle, or any such thing. He said, "I know you can't see how beautiful you are, but let me shine my light so you can see clearly." And, as the New Covenant economy always goes, what HE did equipped and empowered US to do the same thing (and greater things)! Let me say it like this: We love others BECAUSE we are loved. We forgive others BECAUSE we are forgiven. We embrace others BECAUSE we are embraced! It's all about receiving and releasing. Sharing the gift that we've been given with thos who don't know they've been given the same gift. That, to me, is what Jesus meant when He said, "Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained" (John 20:23). It's not like we could undo the cross, right? Not like Jesus could take away the sin of the world and then we could give it back... but in a sense, that's exactly what we do when we condemn people. I preach, and rant, a lot about our duty to EXECUTE judgment instead of judging according to appearance. And that's what we do when we preach the gospel. We "forgive" people, in a sense, by telling them that they are forgiven. By telling them that God isn't mad AT them, but that's He's mad ABOUT them. That He would rather die than live without them. That they don't have to change, but instead they need to SEE the change that took place on the cross. And that change was NOT bad people turning into good people. That change was NOT God changing us into someone He could love. He always has and always will love us. The change that took place was from death to life. From someone who didn't have the Holy Spirit and couldn't believe that God loved us... to someone who is filled (to overflowing) with the Holy Spirit and not only KNOWS and BELIEVES that he is loved, but loves others with that same love! Someone who has experienced that loving embrace, and is now fully capable of embracing others. Not trying to change others. Not condemning others. But accepting others. Loving others. I quote this verse whenever I can--even though I never hear anybody else quote it--Revelation 22:11, "He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still." Love isn't about changing people. It's about letting people be who they are while they figure it out. SHOWING people who they really are by showing them love! Embracing them whether they "deserve" it or not. Whether they've "earned" it or not. Understanding Jesus' loving embrace and simply receiving it and releasing it!