June 12, 2012
“But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” Galatians 6:14 New American Standard
“On the cross Jesus was saying of the work underneath your work — the thing that makes you truly weary, this need to prove yourself because who you are and what you do are never good enough — that is finished. He has lived the life you should have lived, he has died the death you should have died. If you rely on Jesus’s finished work, you know that God is satisfied with you. You can be satisfied with life.” ( a New York City pastor) God has gone to incomprehensible lengths to speak into the deepest areas of your life. He’s had to go that far because sin has damaged everything in you. Most of the real damage we don’t even see in ourselves .. but He does. You try to be good enough .. but there is always one small part inside of you can’t fix. So, you cover it up .. work around it .. or find someway to minimize it. But God doesn’t. He knows the only way you will ever truly believe what He thinks about you is going to be found on The Cross. He knows just how far He has to graciously and patiently work in your heart so you’ll believe and restfully trust what He says. It takes a long time .. not the believing part .. the other part: the truly being “satisfied” in His work on behalf of my never-quite-complete work. Christ’s life on the Cross completes your incomplete life and His finished-work on the Cross consumes all of your life’s incomplete work. We can easily boast in ourselves to fill in the flat spaces or fill the voids. No one may even know you are doing it .. except God. And He wants more than anything to be the One who fills in the flat spaces and voids in your life. Everyone has them. And really … only Christ can perfectly fill in and fit you for the life God has designed for you in His Son. And today … it only takes a moment …
“… by which we are made fit for God by the once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus.” Hebrews 10:10 The Message
Ken Chester: Grace-Gripped is sent M-F to Cross-Fit Followers of Jesus Christ and friends of Priority One (ken@priorityone.org)
