How God sees us

These are some collections of thoughts and reflections in my notes during the service. Not intended for formal essays, blogs nor academic writing.

    

    After the preaching, the pastor shared his conversation with God.

God: "Remember those times that you did something that only you and I know?.. No one knows... Not even your spouse?"

Him: "Yes, God I'm listening".1

    While listening to his conversation with God, at first it gives me a sense of fear and discomfort. Fear because of the shame and guilt embedded in my life. Discomfort because these are the things that I wish had never occurred in my life nor did it. I felt shy even to approach God. He is holy, I am not. He is clean, I'm full of dirt. I started to wonder if he could still accept me.

Later on, the pastor kept on saying that God looks at us in the person of Jesus on what he did on the cross. When God looks at us, he sees Jesus, not us. Our identity is in Christ. We are covered by his blood.


I want to highlight 2 points that I took down during the preaching.

1. We are defined by who we are IN Christ.2

and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith.3 - Philippians 3:9

    It is never defined by what we did or even how many people that we helped in the past. It is never about the good works and good moral standing that we have done in the past. But the primary and only basis is the righteousness of Jesus.


2. God is bigger than our mistakes or sins.2

    Some or a lot of people can't move on forward because of the things that they did in the past. It keeps on haunting them down. They've been victimized by those voices in the past. Voices of failures, and hopelessness. They are all lies. 



I remember my father reminding me of what Jesus spoke to the adulterous woman.

She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”3 - John 8:11

Everyone condemns the woman as if they themselves haven't sinned. In the end, what matters is that Jesus didn't condemn the woman. That is truly comforting coming from the mouth of God. God never condemns. Jesus mentioned at the end to continue living his life not sinning. This is the changed life. God doesn't condemn us and therefore we shouldn't go to continue living our former way of life.


Footnotes:

1 Cunanan, Fer. "Joy in knowing Christ". Semi-benediction at ENCM, Mississauga, ON, August 29, 2021.

2 Joan. "Joy in knowing Christ". Sermon at ENCM, Mississauga, ON, August 29, 2021.

3 English Standard Version Bible. (2001). ESV Online. https://esv.literalword.com/

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