UNDESERVING, YET RESTORED
TRANSFORMED: GIVE GOD CONTROL OF YOUR THINKING AND LIVE FULLY CONVINCED OF HIS LOVE - DAY 6
During his final days in office, the President of the United States will often extend grace to people who many would consider undeserving. By exercising a “Presidential Pardon,” the Commander in Chief can extend executive clemency and release an offender from the punishment to a crime. The individual normally has acknowledged responsibility for the offense and has taken steps to make amends and re-establish good standing in the community. As a result, the rights of the pardoned citizen are fully restored.
Paul describes how God extends pardon to the undeserving, but God’s grace transcends that of any clemency man may offer. For starters, God’s exoneration does not depend on the actions of the recipient. God chooses to “demonstrate” His love by “standing with” the accused and basically assuming the guilt. Instead of covering the guilt, the innocent authority steps down from His exalted position for the sake of the guilty party and pays the penalty for every offense. The sacrificial intervention of the Righteous Judge fully reconciles the unrighteous.
No matter how many good deeds we accomplish on our own, we will never be able to atone for our own sin. The Prophet Isaiah compares our righteous acts to “filthy rags.” Isaiah 64:6) Our efforts to “do right” only cover up for our sin externally. What we truly need is to be transformed from within and made into a new creation. Thankfully, God sent Jesus who had no sin to “be sin” for us so that we can look to Him for salvation. Surrendering our hearts to Jesus converts us from within to be clothed in the “righteousness” of Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:17-21)
While we were still stuck in our sin and unrepentant, Jesus paid the ultimate price on a cruel cross to display God’s love for the unworthy. His exceptional sacrifice extends God’s grace to anyone who will acknowledge the need for forgiveness and humbly ask to be pardoned.
Friend, let’s thank Jesus for our full restoration. We don’t deserve to be pardoned, but we have peace with God.