100 Days of Right Believing: Daily Readings from The Power of Right Believing (7 page)

I
often hear people say, “God’s love is unconditional!” But the moment they fail, all of a sudden, the love they once said was unconditional becomes contingent upon their behavior. Many believe that God loves them when they do right, but stops loving them the moment they do something wrong. Well, I’m going to shatter that wrong belief into smithereens with the truth of God’s Word!

While our love for God can fluctuate, His love for us always remains constant. His love for us is based on who He is and not based on what we do. I love just how confident and emphatic the apostle Paul is when he says, “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:38–39). In the New International Version, it says, “For I am convinced…”

Are you
persuaded
and
convinced
the way the apostle Paul is that as a child of God, nothing, not even your sins, failings, and mistakes, can ever separate you from the love of God? Don’t go by what you feel, think, or have been taught. God’s Word proclaims in no uncertain terms that nothing can separate you from His love. Nothing means
nothing
! His love for you is not contingent on your immaculate performance. He loves you even in your failings. That’s why it is called grace! It is the undeserved, unmerited, and unearned favor of God. If you can deserve God’s grace, then it is no longer grace.

So the next time you do something wrong, hold fast to His love as unconditional. Receive His love afresh, and you will have the power to overcome that failing—and every struggle—every time.

H
er story is heartrending. In the Bible’s account, this woman is described as “a sinner” (Luke 7:37). Many believe that she was a prostitute. When she came to Jesus, He did not chase her away, humiliate her, or condemn her for her sins. He knew how guilt had been eating her up on the inside, and had compassion for her.

As she neared Jesus, she began weeping. Then, she washed His feet with her tears, wiped them with her hair, and anointed them with the precious ointment that would have cost her an entire year’s wages. Without hesitation, she lavished it on Jesus’ feet and worshiped Him.

In response, Jesus said that those who know and believe how abundantly God truly loves and has forgiven them will end up loving God very much. Simply put, those who have been forgiven much, love much. Those who have been forgiven little, love little. That’s why the emphasis of the new covenant is not about your love for God; it is about God’s love for you.

Do you see that your love for God in the new covenant is birthed out of a genuine and authentic relationship with Him? It is not a groveling display that is birthed out of the fear of punishment or religious obligation. Under grace, we are able to love God because He first loved us. That is why people under grace become the holiest people you will ever meet. Their holiness flows out of their love relationship with Jesus! They have experienced His unconditional love in an intimate and personal way that transforms them. They just want to live lives that glorify and honor the name of Jesus.

Friend, we have all been forgiven much, but many don’t know and don’t believe this. Give up on trying to overcome your own failings, mistakes, addictions, and bondages, imagining that God requires this of you before you can
come before Him. When you fail, come to Jesus with boldness and confidence as this woman did. Feel free to weep in His sweet presence and simply worship Him. Pour out everything that is on your heart to Him. Don’t worry, He will not heap more guilt and condemnation upon you. He will remind you of the cross and say, “Your sins are already forgiven. I have already paid the price for your sins at Calvary. Rest in My forgiveness and love for you.”

I
received a letter from a man, whom I’ll just call Patrick, who struggled with sexual addictions for more than ten years. He knew it was wrong, but he couldn’t break free from those addictions no matter how hard he tried. His conscience would plague him with reminders of his sins every time he tried to read the Word. This fed his belief that he wasn’t good enough for God and that God didn’t want anything to do with him because of his addictions.

This man lived in this realm of self-torture day after day. Then one day he read one of my books,
Destined To Reign
. Through the book, he came to discover and believe in Jesus’ finished work at the cross. He said, “I just decided to rest in Jesus’ finished work, His forgiveness, His victory, His grace, and His love,
and pornography and masturbation now have no power or dominion over me
. It truly is awesome, especially because I had tried for more than ten years to get victory, and all it took was for me to know the truth and rest in Jesus’ finished work. All glory to God!”

I don’t know what guilt you may be struggling with today, but God does. You no longer have to live under the dictates of your conscience, which condemns you every time you miss the mark. See the blood of Jesus cleansing your heart, and be free from the prison of guilt to experience victory like this precious brother.

I encourage you to fill your heart with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs that are full of God’s love and grace. When your heart is full of Jesus, wrong beliefs will begin to be replaced by right beliefs. Destructive addictions will be replaced by new, positive habits. Fear, shame, and guilt will begin to dissolve in the warmth of His perfect love for you. Experience His love today!