You Are More

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm therefore and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." Galatians 5:1

The world these days and in times past has tried to dismiss, downplay, redefine and excuse sin, but sin is still sin in God’s eyes, and we are all born apart from God because of our sin. Paul tells us in Romans 3:23 that ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

Sin can be simply defined as missing the mark, falling short of the perfect standard of a holy God who cannot tolerate sin. He is the Righteous Judge and must and will one day judge sin in His creation. But this same Holy God is also a loving Heavenly Father Who does not wish that any perish but that all would come to repentance II Peter 3:9.

Jesus told us plainly when He walked this earth that He is the Only Way, Truth, and LIFE and that no man/woman can come to the Father except THROUGH Him. John 14:6. Jesus also said that He came to give us Life and give life more abundantly John 10:10. Romans 8:2 should encourage all of us as it says: "And because you belong to Him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death." He died so we could live FREE and walk in freedom, not so we can go out and keep sinning and abusing that wonderful and amazing grace, but that we can walk in a humble life of gratitude and service to Him. I know that there are certain times when we question whether or not God could really love us and forgive us for some of the wrongs we have done, but I can assure you with every fiber of my heart that there is no limit to the matchless grace of Jesus. We could never repay the price that was paid for our freedom when Christ died in our place on the cross, we could never earn it based on our performance or works, and like the song at the end of this devotion, the words say, "It’s not about what you’ve done, but what’s been done FOR you!"

If you have received Christ as your Savior, He has already set you free through His victory over sin and death on the cross, but keep in mind that it is a growing, abundant life in Christ. If you are not experiencing that kind of freedom, it may be because you have not stood firm in the faith or lived according to who you are in Christ. I sadly talk to many people these days that just struggle with either accepting God’s free gift with open arms, or feel they do not deserve God’s grace and mercy. It breaks my heart, and I am sure it also breaks God’s heart as well.

My family recently attended the annual FISHFEST event at the local Verizon Amphitheatre where they featured several of my most favorite Christian bands (MercyMe, Third Day, OC Supertones), and Tenth Avenue North. The words of their songs really stir my heart, and when the lead singer shares about his heart for the things of God and his relationship with Christ, it really reminds me once again to return to that place of my First Love for my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Tenth Avenue North has a song called “You Are More” and the chorus convicts me every time to stop and consider anew that we are so much more than our past mistakes and choices and problems that we end up finding ourselves in. The lie of the enemy is that we can fall too far for God’s reach and that despair, hopelessness and shame cause us to hide in the shadows of the world instead of stepping out into the bright and warm SONshine of God’s love.

I encourage you today to just meditate on the beauty and wonder of grace, and the amazing gift of freedom you have as a believer in Jesus Christ. Such a simple yet integral part of God’s plan really, but you’ll soon be lost in the ocean of God’s love if you let yourself really dive deep into it.

Shalom, sister Lahoma

You Are More by Tenth Avenue North

There's a girl in the corner with tear stains on her eyes
From the places she's wandered and the shame she can't hide
She says, "How did I get here? I'm not who I once was.
And I'm crippled by the fear that I've fallen too far to love"
But don't you know who you are, what's been done for you?
Yeah don't you know who you are?

CHORUS: You are more than the choices that you've made,
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,
You are more than the problems you create, you've been remade.

Well she tries to believe it that she's been given new life
But she can't shake the feeling that it's not true tonight
She knows all the answers and she's rehearsed all the lines
And so she'll try to do better but then she's too weak to try

CHORUS

'Cause this is not about what you've done, but what's been done for you.
This is not about where you've been, but where your brokenness brings you to
This is not about what you feel, but what He felt to forgive you,
And what He felt to make you loved.

CHORUS

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