What if God has no plans to condemn me?
Psalm 130:3-4
If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with you, so that you may be revered.
If God is interested in condemning me, I’ve certainly provided plenty of material to make the case against me. But my sense is that God’s intention is something quite different. I’m convinced that God is dead set on something quite opposite of condemnation. It appears the writer of psalm 130 agrees. The writer says about God, “There is forgiveness with you.” I’m going to hang on to that with all that is in me… not to gain some twisted confidence that I can do anything I want free of consequence. That’s not it at all. The way I live, who I hurt, and how I love matter. God doesn’t hold my crud over my head to threaten condemnation and perpetuate shame. God releases the burden of all that so I can live and love God’s creation the same way without fearing for my life and eternity every time I get it wrong. A God who loves like that is one I want to follow and honor with my life. I want to live in unity with God and learn to love in the image of God.