NO LONGER EXILED

I wonder how many of God’s children are still living in exile.  We are no longer banished from our heavenly Father’s presence.  Jesus has bought us back.  Our debt has been paid in full by His blood that He shed willingly for us. His grace has given us unmerited favor. yet we live in a self imposed exile. 

Some of us have forgotten that God is and always has been the initiator of our redemption.  His desire has never been to punish us.  He has known from the start that we would rebel and reject Him because of our sin nature.  He knew the darkness and ignorance we would be in without Him.  He knew we could never get it right on our own. 

So here comes sweet Jesus, God's son in the flesh, sent to live the perfect, sinless life that we couldn’t.  He willingly laid down His life and took all of mankind’s punishment.  All on His initiative. He offers this free gift of salvation.   So for those of us who have responded to this awesome gift, we are no longer fugitives! We do not have to run from Him, and fear punishment from Him when we do mess up and sin.  We are still righteous before God, because Jesus is our righteousness for us!  

Unfortunately, we lead ourselves right back into exile when we start thinking that our “good deeds” and our “works” make us right with God. If all our good works could never make us righteous when we were lost, then how can the sins that we commit when we are saved and born again make us unrighteous?  Because of Jesus, our position has now changed and it is permanent.    We stand in Him and what He did perfectly for us.  This gives us room to fail while we are in the process of growing up in the Lord.   The more we think that we have to live a Holy life by our own self effort and works the more entangled we become in sin.   

Many of us have heard the verse in John 8:32 “you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.” Well the truth that truly brings freedom in our lives is the fact that our righteousness is permanent no matter what because we are now standing in Jesus righteousness.  The more we remember that we are forgiven completely. the more sin will lose its grip on us.

I can hear the Father saying to His children, “You are no longer fugitives. so quit wandering around looking for a place to hide.  Your punishment has been taken by my Son!  I want you to live in the freedom He purchased for you.  Don’t spend another day living in your self-imposed exile from me.  Just come home and stay at home in my presence.  I love you.”

Isaiah 51:14

The exile will soon be set free, and will not die in the dungeon, nor will his bread be lacking

Written by; Connie Miller