you. are. clean.

The grace of God should really weird us out. We should find God’s kindness appalling. Some words often used are scandalous and audacious, shocking and not making much sense. God’s grace should leave us dumbfounded and confused! If it doesn’t....I don’t think you get it. Maybe you have forgotten how powerful his grace is; maybe you have forgotten you need it and live on it.

Think of the most terrible immoral act you can and realize God has forgiven people who have done such things. Many of us have gone through some stomach wrenching things in life, things which we would rather forget. I once asked my grandpa, who is a World War 2 vet, what the War was like–I wanted some cool stories!!–but he thought a moment, looked at me and said, ‘Some things should be forgotten.’ But even these things which ought to be forgotten God can forgive! Yes, the child molester, the rapist, the murderer, the spouse abuser, the dictator, the adulterer, the pimp and prostitute, the child trafficker, the legalist, the terrorist, the politician, the liar...and yes, YOU! God, through Jesus’ work, can clean even you! He can say, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’ And it be true! Getting blown away by God’s grace is a natural reaction to it because the math equation is unfair! But God did it, his love secured the Cross where Jesus died and defeated death and God’s love secured Jesus’ resurrection so we can get lost in the wilderness of love for all eternity starting now.

There is a song by the duo Shane & Shane, it is called ‘Embracing Accusation.’ It is a slow song that has a sinner being reminded via the Devil of his failures and sin. ‘He’s right’ the singer says, and he is! The Devil accuses us of our past sins and our potential to continue screwing up; ‘he is singing the song of the redeemed’ the songs goes on. The whole song is building until the crescendo which gives me goose bumps typing this out:

‘The Devil’s singing over me an age old song/
that I am cursed and gone astray/
Singing the first verse so conveniently over me/
He’s forgotten the refrain.
Jesus Saves!!’

That’s how the song ends: Jesus Saves!! Don’t you worry how it is all gonna be fixed, how you’ll put your life back together, how everyone else will react. God, through Jesus, has saved you. In the Father of all things, in the ruler of all, in his eyes you are not guilty anymore, no more shame, only grace!