The You God Sees 5.

“In Him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our sins according to the riches of His Grace which He lavished upon us.” (Ephesians 1:7)

God’s Grace – His favor and good-will, lovingly, kindly, beneficently given – has been and is routinely lavished on anyone who will admit they need it and humbly receive it. The benefits are most certainly “lavish.” They are bountiful even excessive. There is no room here for thoughts of limits or “strings attached.”

Our Father paid a preposterous ransom! That’s what “redemption” is! Our sin indentured us. We became slaves to our cravings and delusions. The “enemy of our souls,” taking advantage of our “selfish ambitions,” made all kinds of promises. We “sold or souls” in the pursuit of dreams that became nightmares. But, with the “life blood” of the Son of Man we’ve been “ransomed.” With that all the claims the devil had on us have been declared “null and void.” Any protest he might make that we owe him – and he will – is mere falsehood; a lie! The guilt that often weighs you down is precisely that: devilish lies.

Furthermore, we have been “forgiven.” Christ’s prayer from the Cross “Father forgive them, they don’t know what they’re doing,” is answered for any and every person who believes He was praying for them and reaches with empty hands to receive the mercy it’s extending! Pardoned! Acquitted! The indictment against them is expunged! They are then and forever pronounced NOT GUILTY!

This is “lavish favor;” “bountiful loving kindness.” The only guilt we’re left with is what we insist on clinging to out of misguided notions that there’s something we must do to win God’s favor. Our pride will not let us accept something we haven’t paid for and therefore can’t believe we deserve.

But we are undeserving! Yes it’s a hard pill to swallow. Still it’s true! And, yes, God loves us anyway!

Swallow your pride. Let go! Let God redeem you! Abandon any future effort to be worthy. Let Him perform the “makeover” that exceeds all “makeovers.” Let Him make you “worthy;” a “New Creation;” the “Image of God restored;” “changed from one level of glory to another into the resemblance of Christ.” There are no limits! “No eye has seen … No ear has ever heard … No heart has imagined the things God has in store for those who love Him!” Now, “God by His Spirit has brought it all out into the open before you.” (1Corinthians 2: 9 & 10)

This, the result of His “lavish Grace,” is “The You God Sees.”