A PERFECT GOD WANTS AN IMPERFECT YOU!

The Christian journey can seem very daunting, especially as a new believer. And it is very easy to feel you can never match up to the seemingly impossible standards. And this is true. Paul, in the book of Romans, clearly tells us we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. God, on the other hand, is perfect and it can sometimes be difficult to reconcile how a perfect God could ever want someone like you and me who are imperfect.

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)

Because we are human, sin is second nature to us and thus you will always sin and be imperfect. It also says that we are not perfect, only Jesus was and still is. This, however, was not always the case. When God created Adam, He created him in His Image and Likeness. And when God was done creating Adam, He said that everything was good. So during that time everything was wonderful, and man was perfect as sin had not entered the world. Even after God created Eve still human beings were perfect.

Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female, he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it.

They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so. God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”

Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals. But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh.

Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.” That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.

Everything was going great until it wasn’t. That is, until sin came into the world. Sin came into the world through disobedience and deception. Before the fall of man and woman, they were perfect. In fact, they had a beautiful and intimate relationship with God. A relationship that required no mediator. It was personal.

The Fall

1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’ ” “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman.

“For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

As we can see from the chapter above, it was through the deception of the enemy that sin came in. And ever since, perfection was no longer a part of our life. And there came separation between us and our perfect God. But even in our imperfection, God still pursued us relentlessly.

Our perfect God did so by sending His precious Son to die for our sins. He sent Jesus to pay the price and redeem us from the jaws of sin and death. In His perfection, He paid the price for a crime He did not commit. How amazing was and is His love for Him to do that? You are debt-free. And maybe you might wonder how then you can say yes to a perfect God in your imperfection. And to do that, let’s look at the David.

But before that, I want to tell you that you can never be perfect. This is until Jesus glorifies you. But as long as you are here on earth, you will mess up from time to time. And you know what? Jesus already knows that. Therefore, He said that where sin increased, His grace abounded even more.

King David, referred to a man after God’s own heart committed unimaginable sins, he was not perfect yet God still communed with Him. King David murdered to cover up the sin of adultery. The consequence for this sin was death. But God had mercy on Him and it is interesting that even after that, God called him a man after God’s own heart. David had realized that he would never be perfect. But he never allowed it to deter him from having a relationship with God. He said yes to our perfect God, despite his imperfections.

God is not waiting for you to be perfect so that you can go to Him. He wants you to come to Him just as you are. There is no sin greater that God cannot redeem you. Do not accept the lie of the enemy when he tells you that you have gone too far away to be redeemed. The Blood of Jesus is greater than any sin. The Bible tells us that where sin increased, grace increased even more http://bible.us/1/rom5.15,20.amp.

But where sin increased, God’s remarkable gracious gift of grace- His unmerited Favour- has surpassed it and increased even more

ROMANS 5: 20, TPT

Jesus, the Perfect One has clothed you with His righteousness…

We already know that our righteousness is filthy rags to God. But because of the Blood of Jesus, Jesus clothed us with His righteousness. Thus, we are in right standing because of Jesus. So when God looks at you, He sees a perfect you in Jesus. Why, then, are you striving for perfection? Your good works can never save you, and your sin does not disqualify you. Shame, guilt, condemnation, and regret are not what God has for you. No! Jesus came to set you free from the bondage of sin.

Obviously, it does not mean that when you get saved, you will never sin. That is why Jesus already accounted for your sins on the cross. That is why we are told that when we confess our sins, He is merciful and just to forgive us. The Blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin and condemnation. Although sin separates us from God, the Blood of Jesus restores the relationship between us and God. So instead of trying to do it in your own strength, rest in the finished work of the cross. There is redemption in the Blood of Jesus Christ. And there is power in redemption.

How to bridge the gap between you and God

Repentance

We know that sin separates us from God. We also know that through forgiveness, we are now in right standing with God. So for us to have that relationship we so yearn for with God, we need to confess our sins. Once we do so we can be sure that He will not on;y forgive them but also not remember them anymore. Redemption comes through repentance. Repentance is acknowledging the sin and asking for forgiveness, then turning away from it. The thing about repentance is it frees you from the guilt and condemnation of the enemy. Once you have repented, you do not have to carry the baggage. After all, there is now no condemnation for those that are in Christ Jesus.

Again, let’s refer to King David. Whenever he sinned, he would always run to God for help and forgiveness. He understood the power of redemption and knew not to allow the shame of the sin to cause him to discard his relationship with God. He knew that the only safe place was in God, despite the sin. God understands we are human and prone to sin. He wants you to come back to Him so that He can transform you and give you a fresh start where you get to walk in all that He has for you and also experience His endless grace, mercy, and redemption. His mercies are new every morning.

Commune with The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit, being our teacher, gives us revelations of God that help us connect with Him. Through the Holy Spirit we have received the Spirit of adoption that gives us the confidence to cry out to God and also know Him as our father. The Holy Spirit is our seal that proves that we are God’s children and are assured of a future with God.

In Him, you also, when you heard the word of truth, the good news of your salvation, and [as a result] believed in Him, were stamped with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit [the One promised by Christ] as owned and protected [by God]. (Ephesians 1:13)

The Holy Spirit is your guarantee that you are God’s child and that Jesus translated you out of the kingdom of darkness and into the kingdom of light. He is also your helper. The Holy Spirit reveals to you the love that God has for you.

 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. (Romans 8:14-17)

Give God a chance

I know that people have rejected you for your past and mistakes. But God will not do the same. He sent His son when we were still sinners. He loved us way before we loved Him and rescued us from sin and hell. God wants to get you out of messes you got yourself into. That is how amazing He is. Have you allowed your flaws to hinder you from connecting with Him? Wait no longer. Just run back to Him just like the prodigal son. He will embrace you and give you beauty for ashes.

God will never ostracize you or condemn you. He has a good and beautiful future for you and has amazing thoughts that are pure for you. Are you ready to turn back to God and take all your baggage to Him? God can handle it and will not be overwhelmed with your baggage. You were not meant to carry it all on your own, take it to the feet of Jesus and surrender it all to Him. God is waiting for you with His arms wide open and is smiling down on you. He does not want a perfect you; He is okay with the imperfect you. God is a potter, and He can transform you into your best version. The best is yet to come, and your latter years will always be better than the former years. What are you waiting for? Your Father is waiting!

Conclusion

Our perfect God wants an imperfect you. Let that truth sink in. And whenever the enemy tries to tell you otherwise, remind Him of the finished work of the cross. God proved to us that He loved us by sending Jesus to die on the cross for us. And to top it up, He sent us the precious Holy Spirit to be our helper and help us live a holy life. This goes to show you that the only thing you can do is receive and not earn His love and a place in His kingdom. Since Jesus paid the price, why would you talk yourself out of the promise and the inheritance?

You don’t have to wait a second longer. Say yes to God and allow Him to be the center of your life.