Daily Devotion: Clean Screen


‘We have been justified [that is, acquitted of sin, declared blameless before God] by faith.’ 
Romans 5:1 AMP
Do you ever worry that you’re not good enough to be a Christian? Yeah, that’s definitely not just you. Being a Christian can be tough at times. And the truth is, however hard we try, we all fall short somewhere (take a look at Romans 3:23 - sorry, all you perfectionists out there). Even David, who God called ‘a man after my own heart’ (Acts 13:22 NIV) made some monumental mistakes. You’ll always be a work-in-progress (remember, only God is perfect), but that doesn’t mean you’re going to lose your place in heaven. Romans 4:24 assures us that ‘God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him’ (NLT). Because we thank Jesus for what He did, and do our very best to live in a way that shows that, we’ll have God’s forgiveness, even if we mess up sometimes (or even a lot). As part of His family, He wants you to stay close to Him. (See Romans 6:1-3 for details on not taking advantage of that.) It’s all about us giving Him all we can, even when that’s far less than perfection. Grab the nearest Bible and read 2 Corinthians 5:21. Now, imagine God looking at you through a screen that makes you appear completely pure and sin-free… well, that screen was constructed by the cross. Because Jesus died, with all the stuff you’ve done put on Him, God sees you as being righteous enough to be His family, too. 
What Now?
Look in your wallet/pocket/back-of-the-sofa and choose the dirtiest penny you can find. Drop it in a bowl of cola, and watch it get all shiny-clean. Keep it as a reminder of how God sees you.
-From UCB Word for You

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