I love to bake. I taught myself over the years and have come quite a long ways from where I was 30 some years ago. I remember the first birthday cake I baked for my son Aaron. I am sure he didn't really care what it looked like when he was just a year old. And I think I was so excited to have actually made something myself that I overlooked most of the flaws.
Over the years I have become more proficient, but I have also become more critical of what I make. I see all of the little errors. The frosting is too thin, the cake is uneven, the shape could have been better; on and on and on.
I expect a lot from myself and get frustrated when I don't perform up to my standards. What I need to do is take a deep breath and just commit to doing a better job next time, rather than beating myself up over a few small missteps.
I thank God that the One who made me isn't so harsh. He knows I am human, He knows I will continue to make mistakes and fail sometimes, but He loves me anyway. He loves me just as I am, sloppy frosting and all.
Because I have given my heart and life to Jesus and received salvation through Him, I am considered perfect right now. Because I am seen through the filter of the blood of Jesus. Ephesians 1:4 says this, "For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight." Holy, meaning we are sanctified by God and connected directly to Him. Blameless or irreproachable and guiltless. That sounds pretty amazing to me. Sounds like more than what I am. Wait, that is exactly what I am, through Jesus. His blood covers me because of my confession of faith in Him. Because I have accepted the sacrifice He made, I am changed. "For by one sacrifice He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy", Hebrews 10:14. Because He chose me before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless, then He has made me perfect. Not is making me perfect, HAS made me perfect.
We set our standards by the world's idea of perfection. A standard measured by performance, by quid pro quo and sometimes just by sheer emotion. God's standards are vastly different. His standards are based on position. Ephesians 2:4-7 says this, " But God is so rich in mercy; he loved us so much that even though we were spiritually dead and doomed by our sins, he gave us back our lives again when he raised Christ from the dead—only by his undeserved favor have we ever been saved-- and lifted us up from the grave into glory along with Christ, where we sit with him in the heavenly realms—all because of what Christ Jesus did. And now God can always point to us as examples of how very, very rich his kindness is, as shown in all he has done for us through Jesus Christ." Our position, because of the grace of Christ when we receive salvation is in heavenly places. That is our position because of His great love for us. And Romans 8:39 says that nothing can separate us from the love of God. Meaning that our position can not be changed.
Now, yes, sometimes our performance leaves something to be desired. We have days where we blow it. Where it seems that getting up on the wrong side of the bed was the best decision of the day. Where we not only seem to let ourselves down, but we also feel that we have let God down. But remember, our position does NOT change. John 10:28 says that no one can ever snatch us out of God's hands. That is our position.
And because of our position as children of God we never have to fear that we are less than. We never again have to believe that we are somehow lacking. We never have to think that He is ashamed of us. Read that scripture in Ephesians 2:7 again, it says now God can always point to us as examples.
Have you ever gone into a fancy bakery? You know the kind, with beautiful pastries and amazing wedding cakes set up for display. Chocolate of every kind. Danishes that just invite you to take a bite and gain a few pounds. Pies piled high with whipped cream or gravity defying meringue.
You don't see a pie with a broken crust. You don't see a wedding cake that looks like the Leaning Tower of Pisa. You don't see crumbled cookies or squashed danishes. You see the best of the best. You see the creme de la creme. You see what is supposed to sell you on the idea of spending money and ingesting calories, all with great abandon.
You see perfection.
YOU are PERFECTION. You are chosen. You are holy and blameless. You are loved and cherished. You are seated in heavenly places. You are held in His hand and cannot be removed. You are all these things and more, not because you chose Him, but because He first chose you.
You are His display for the whole world to see. A display of His love and mercy, His compassion and His generosity. A display of a Son's sacrifice and a Father's grace.
You are a display of His perfection. Front and center display, beautiful and magnificent. Inviting others to taste and see that the Lord is good.
Over the years I have become more proficient, but I have also become more critical of what I make. I see all of the little errors. The frosting is too thin, the cake is uneven, the shape could have been better; on and on and on.
I expect a lot from myself and get frustrated when I don't perform up to my standards. What I need to do is take a deep breath and just commit to doing a better job next time, rather than beating myself up over a few small missteps.
I thank God that the One who made me isn't so harsh. He knows I am human, He knows I will continue to make mistakes and fail sometimes, but He loves me anyway. He loves me just as I am, sloppy frosting and all.
Because I have given my heart and life to Jesus and received salvation through Him, I am considered perfect right now. Because I am seen through the filter of the blood of Jesus. Ephesians 1:4 says this, "For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight." Holy, meaning we are sanctified by God and connected directly to Him. Blameless or irreproachable and guiltless. That sounds pretty amazing to me. Sounds like more than what I am. Wait, that is exactly what I am, through Jesus. His blood covers me because of my confession of faith in Him. Because I have accepted the sacrifice He made, I am changed. "For by one sacrifice He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy", Hebrews 10:14. Because He chose me before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless, then He has made me perfect. Not is making me perfect, HAS made me perfect.
We set our standards by the world's idea of perfection. A standard measured by performance, by quid pro quo and sometimes just by sheer emotion. God's standards are vastly different. His standards are based on position. Ephesians 2:4-7 says this, " But God is so rich in mercy; he loved us so much that even though we were spiritually dead and doomed by our sins, he gave us back our lives again when he raised Christ from the dead—only by his undeserved favor have we ever been saved-- and lifted us up from the grave into glory along with Christ, where we sit with him in the heavenly realms—all because of what Christ Jesus did. And now God can always point to us as examples of how very, very rich his kindness is, as shown in all he has done for us through Jesus Christ." Our position, because of the grace of Christ when we receive salvation is in heavenly places. That is our position because of His great love for us. And Romans 8:39 says that nothing can separate us from the love of God. Meaning that our position can not be changed.
Now, yes, sometimes our performance leaves something to be desired. We have days where we blow it. Where it seems that getting up on the wrong side of the bed was the best decision of the day. Where we not only seem to let ourselves down, but we also feel that we have let God down. But remember, our position does NOT change. John 10:28 says that no one can ever snatch us out of God's hands. That is our position.
And because of our position as children of God we never have to fear that we are less than. We never again have to believe that we are somehow lacking. We never have to think that He is ashamed of us. Read that scripture in Ephesians 2:7 again, it says now God can always point to us as examples.
Have you ever gone into a fancy bakery? You know the kind, with beautiful pastries and amazing wedding cakes set up for display. Chocolate of every kind. Danishes that just invite you to take a bite and gain a few pounds. Pies piled high with whipped cream or gravity defying meringue.
You don't see a pie with a broken crust. You don't see a wedding cake that looks like the Leaning Tower of Pisa. You don't see crumbled cookies or squashed danishes. You see the best of the best. You see the creme de la creme. You see what is supposed to sell you on the idea of spending money and ingesting calories, all with great abandon.
You see perfection.
YOU are PERFECTION. You are chosen. You are holy and blameless. You are loved and cherished. You are seated in heavenly places. You are held in His hand and cannot be removed. You are all these things and more, not because you chose Him, but because He first chose you.
You are His display for the whole world to see. A display of His love and mercy, His compassion and His generosity. A display of a Son's sacrifice and a Father's grace.
You are a display of His perfection. Front and center display, beautiful and magnificent. Inviting others to taste and see that the Lord is good.
