Face-to-Face with Divine Mercy
When you hear that God loves you and that Jesus wants to enter into a relationship with you, do you hold back? Maybe there are things in your past that you think, "If He knew that about me, He wouldn't have anything to do with me." Perhaps you think there are areas of your life that you can't open to Him. That your sins are too great. That what you've done is beyond forgiving. Do you think you need to clean yourself up first and somehow be good enough to experience His love, but you've tried and found there's no way to clean yourself up?
I hope you'll read the story in John 8 of the woman caught in the act of adultery and imagine you're standing there trembling in her place. The religious leaders had dragged her in front of Jesus, publicly condemned her to the Law's judgment of stoning, and asked what Jesus had to say. But Jesus just knelt down and began writing in the dirt with his finger. After they continued to question Him, He said, "Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone." Then He went back to writing on the ground. With her life at stake, what relief must she have felt as the accusers slowly walked away?
Picture her as Jesus stood up and looked at her. There's little doubt that she had heard about Him--that He performed miracles, that some said He was the Messiah. But in that moment she went from hearing about Jesus to experiencing the love of Jesus. She went from overwhelming guilt and condemnation to standing face-to-face with divine mercy. Then came those amazing words from Jesus, "Has no one condemned you?" She said, "No one, sir." And He declared, "I don't condemn you either. Go and sin no more."
Can you imagine how her heart was opened by His grace and love? The most intimate wrongdoing in her life had been exposed to everyone in her community, and yet God's mercy flooded her heart and gently led her to repentance. That's what we have to believe about the love of Christ. There is "no condemnation in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1). None. God loves you in Him. Therefore, there is nothing that you've done that He will not forgive. The Scripture says, "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). Before we even knew about Him, He already was in love with us.
Today, take that step from just hearing about the love of God to truly experiencing the love of God. Open your heart and let Him come in.
I hope you'll read the story in John 8 of the woman caught in the act of adultery and imagine you're standing there trembling in her place. The religious leaders had dragged her in front of Jesus, publicly condemned her to the Law's judgment of stoning, and asked what Jesus had to say. But Jesus just knelt down and began writing in the dirt with his finger. After they continued to question Him, He said, "Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone." Then He went back to writing on the ground. With her life at stake, what relief must she have felt as the accusers slowly walked away?
Picture her as Jesus stood up and looked at her. There's little doubt that she had heard about Him--that He performed miracles, that some said He was the Messiah. But in that moment she went from hearing about Jesus to experiencing the love of Jesus. She went from overwhelming guilt and condemnation to standing face-to-face with divine mercy. Then came those amazing words from Jesus, "Has no one condemned you?" She said, "No one, sir." And He declared, "I don't condemn you either. Go and sin no more."
Can you imagine how her heart was opened by His grace and love? The most intimate wrongdoing in her life had been exposed to everyone in her community, and yet God's mercy flooded her heart and gently led her to repentance. That's what we have to believe about the love of Christ. There is "no condemnation in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1). None. God loves you in Him. Therefore, there is nothing that you've done that He will not forgive. The Scripture says, "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). Before we even knew about Him, He already was in love with us.
Today, take that step from just hearing about the love of God to truly experiencing the love of God. Open your heart and let Him come in.