Monday, October 14, 2013

Week 42 - Day 2

Luke 4-6; Proverbs 14

*Click here to read these passages:

“When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the Jesus’ knees and said, ‘Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!”

I think many people have the same reaction to Jesus’ calling as Simon Peter – pushing Him away because of their own guilt.  Sometimes it is hard to accept that He loves us.  He really loves us while knowing everything about us.  Jesus knew at that moment everything about Peter.  He knew that Peter would ultimately fail when He needed him most, but that didn’t matter.  That didn’t stand in the way of His love.  Jesus told him to not be afraid and to follow Him and that he would get to do amazing things.

Then Jesus called Levi (Matthew) who was a tax collector to follow Him.  Everyone knew that tax collectors were corrupt and greedy, but Jesus doesn’t see what everyone else sees.  He looks past who you are and sees what you can become.  I love His response to the Pharisees, the religious and “righteous” teachers, who complained about Jesus and his disciples eating and drinking with tax collectors and sinners.  Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.  I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

It is not like Jesus expects us to get everything right in our life and then He’ll come around.  We can’t do that on our own.  No matter how hard we try we will still be sinners.  Jesus knows that, loves us in spite of it, and when we trust Him with our lives He cleanses us from those sins. 

It says in Romans 8, verse 1: “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. “  Then Romans 8, verse 18: “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

For those who are in Christ Jesus, there is no judgment, and there is nothing that can separate you from His love.  Don’t push Him away.  He knows our deepest darkest thoughts and every failure, but still He loves us and He says, “Don’t be afraid.  Come, follow me.” 

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