GRACE to STAND

It is easy to take for granted the truth that our sins are completely forgiven and Jesus Christ is still risen. As Christians in a fallen world, we are still susceptible to fall prey to the numbness the world promotes to sin and the brokenness that results from sin. However, when we submit to being broken before God, it is there that we find the strength and grace to stand unashamed before man. But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded (James 4:6-8).

In the passage above, the half-brother of Jesus, an early church leader named James, writes to the Christian population about having a sense of seriousness about their faith. He challenges them to know repentance as godly remorsefulness over sin, not mere regret over sin. And he encourages them to humbly submit to God who willingly draws near to us, if we willingly draw near to Him. In other words, the first step to being unashamed isn’t to try and clean yourself up before coming to God. It’s actually just coming to God as you are and allowing His love to clean you up. You see, God will never turn down a dirty sinner (like me)—because every particle of dirt and every stain of sin has been covered by the Savior. But that ought not keep me—that ought not keep us—from being steadily broken over our sins ugliness, which will leave us open to receive the beauty of Gods grace and faithfulness. We, who call ourselves Christians, need to be unashamed to be broken before God because He was unashamed to be broken for us. And because of His faithfulness, He gives us the grace to stand unashamed for the Name that took away our pain and shame.