Our Iniquities: Being Seen Through God’s Eyes of Mercy Changes a Life

God is pure holiness through and through. He is also rich in mercy and abounds in great love and forgiveness. Amazingly, He desires a relationship with us and incredibly He relishes it as well. But sinfulness cannot stand in the Presence of pure holiness. Indeed, the Apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 6:14 (NIV): “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?” And this, BTW, is simply on an earthly, humanly level – not a heavenly one. 

We are also all sinners – every.last.one.of.us - all born broken with a sinful nature – excepting Adam and Eve (who were the first to fall) and Jesus. Scripture tells us, there is no one righteous, not even one and there must be the shedding of blood for the remission of sin before a perfect, holy and just God. Therefore, in an amazing act of love, God sent His perfect Son (Jesus) who came to earth, lived a perfect life, and yet was crucified for our sins – every.last.one.of.them. And on the cross all of God’s wrath against sin was placed on His Flawlessly Perfect Son. Amazing love. And those who believe in Him receive the mercy of God. Paul writes this amazing verse found in 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV): “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Now this is love. God desires fellowship with us, and so much so, that He died to make it so. The great Apostle Paul writes in Romans 5:6-8 (NIV): You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man 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.” We did not change, He died to change us. 

Out of love, God looked down upon our miserable plights and did something for us that not one of us could do for ourselves. He, who had no sin, became sin for us so that through our belief in Him we have eternal life with Him. As Chris Tomlin writes (and sings!): “I’m forgiven because you were forsaken and I’m accepted you were condemned I’m alive and well your spirit is within me because you died and rose again. Amazing love how can it be that you my king would die for me amazing love I know it’s true that it’s my joy to honour you. In all I do, I honor you.”