How many people who know Christ still behave as though they are still condemned? That’s not the Gospel. Some encouraging words from the late Welsh pastor, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones in The Christian Soldier:
…when the devil comes and says, “You have no standing, you are condemned, you are finished”, you must say, “No! my position did not depend upon what I was doing, or not doing; it is always dependant upon the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ.” Turn to the devil and tell him, “My relationship to God is not a variable one. The case is not that I am a child of God, and then again not a child of God. That is not the basis of my standing, that is not the position. When God had mercy upon me, He made me His child, and I remain his child. A very sinful, and a very unworthy one, perhaps, but still his child!”
And now, when I fall into sin, I have not sinned against the law, I have sinned against love. Like the prodigal, I will go back to my Father and I will tell Him, “Father, I am not worthy to be called your son.” But He will embrace me, and He will say, “Do not talk nonsense, you are My child,” and He will shower his love upon me! That is the meaning of putting on the breastplate of righteousness! Never allow the devil to get you into a state of condemnation. Never allow a particular sin to call into question your standing before God. That question has been settled, (pg. 255).
Amen and amen! When a Christ follower sins, we can come to our senses and flee to our Father who will welcome us back with open arms. He will never leave us or forsake us. He will love us with an everlasting love. It isn’t that our sin is not great, but His grace is greater still. His Son paid a great price so the debt of our sin could be canceled and the penalty of our trespasses paid in full.
HT: John Fonville via Rob Harrison