It Is Enough
1 John 2:2
Saturday, March 17th
Be amazed at the extent of God’ s love:“ Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us”( Romans 5:7,8). But God doesn’ t stop there. He keeps going. For the one whose conscience condemns with,“ You are the worst of sinners,” for the one who judges their own heart and life as“ not good enough,” God keeps going. God announces to you,“ Jesus Christ ] is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world”( 1 John 2:2).
If God loves the whole world, then he loves me too! If God loves the whole world then I am not condemned. If God loves the whole world then those sins that I thought God’ s grace couldn’ t cover – they are covered. If God loves the whole world, then the atoning sacrifice of Jesus satisfied God’ s anger that was directed towards me.
If God’ s sacrifice for sin is for the whole world, then it applies to the one I judged“ not good enough” to be forgiven. If God’ s sacrifice for sin is for the whole world then it applies to the one I deemed“ not worthy” to receive God’ s grace. Certainly the latest news stories make us shake our heads over the gross sins of our world. We remember God’ s atoning sacrifice is enough for my sins, yes, and not just for my sins, it is enough for the sins of the whole world.
Instead of judging who is worthy of God’ s grace and who is not worthy of God’ s grace we turn our attention to the place where God judged the whole world of sinners. At the cross we can estimate the nature of our sin and the sin of the whole world. We look to the cross and learn how God deals with sin, our sin and all sin. It took the Son of God dying to pay for sin. God judges that his Son’ s sacrifice is enough. We go to the cross and find the only one who is perfect. We put our trust in him. We direct others to his sacrifice. It is enough.
Prayer: Dear Lord, set me free from the sin of judging others to be worthy or unworthy of your grace. Give me eyes to see all people as souls for whom your sacrifice is enough. Amen.
Activity: Pick up the nearest magazine in your living room. Look at all the different faces in that magazine. Skim the pages of the magazine looking at all the different faces and reminding one another that Jesus’ sacrifice is for the whole world.
38