Chapter 3 starts out like this:
How does God feel about you, right now? And how do you determine that?
Well, first of all, let's think about the question. How does God feel about me? Well, I like to think he thinks of me as a poor struggling creature who needs his help, which partially, he probably does. But a lot of times, in general, during the week I measure God's feelings for me by what I do. For example, I feel like we're on an "okay" basis if I got everything done, did a great bible study, helped around the house and generally didn't think anything bad. Of course, there is no perfect day, but when I have a good day I think that it's again, "okay".
On the other hand, when I have a bad day, when I'm impatient and procrostinating I feel God isn't as happy with me.
I'm sure we all have a few of those instances, and so did the author. He goes on to say, "If I hadn't done a good job at being a real Christian, I felt pretty distant from God." When I feel distant from God, it's because I know I'm trying to hide something. Or I'm in such a bad mood I don't want to talk to God. That's when I feel distant. I like this example, because it happens to so many of us "When I came to church, I had no desire to life my soul up to God. I was pretty sure He didn't want to see me either. I could feel his displeasure---His lack of approval. That's because I didn't really understnad the gospel. Or, at least I had forgotten it.
I think many of us feel that way and at least once have gone to church thinking God wasn't happy with us, or we weren't happy with him. I'm guilty. What I do, is I take my brain into this wonderful world with clouds and get this rock solid face on. I ignore my responsibility of worship and just think away the time. You know what? It just leaves me more upset, more angry, and more empty.
I'm glad I'm not alone it in. NOW I understand that I've misunderstood the gospel. And what do I do at the bottom? Start moving up with the help of Christ.
It goes on to talk about the gospel. I realized again that moment I was missing acceptance when I read, "When I receive that grace in repentance and faith, full acceptance becomes mine." For so long I haven't understand that I am accepted. I had to write it down, highlight, and read over to be comfortable with the idea. That's where pride and despair had taken me. In the book, he mentions Christ's sacrifice, and the wonderful event of Calvary. He goes on to say, "That means that God could not love me any more than He does rightnow, because God could not love and accept Christ any more than He does, and God sees me as Christ."
I encourage you to take that in, especially the last part. Because of what Christ did on Calvary, God see's us as Christ. Many of you know this, but have truly accepted it? I didn't at first, but I'm beginning to. It's such a wonderful thing that we can't even comprehend it.
I'll close with this: "Right now, if you are in Christ, when God looks at you --regardless of your situation--He sees the righteousness of Christ. If we really believed that -- not only with our heads but also with our hearts-- it would change everything in our lives."
In Christ there is nothing I can do that would make You love me more, and nothing I have done that makes You love me less.-JD Greear
~Hannah
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