Rose Colored Glasses

I have just come through a real season of rebellion. I hate to admit it but it's true. Areas of my life where I know the Truth and have walked in freedom before were bombarded with temptation and whether because of fatigue or whatever, I just didn't have the strength to stand. As I write that, truth be told, I realize that though I wanted to live in freedom (there really is nothing like it), I also was enticed by the temptation.

God's Word puts it this way, "When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed." (James 1:13-14) God also says that if we look with longing towards the place that He has brought us out of, we can find constant opportunity to return to it. (see Hebrews 11:15) I did and the result was anything but pleasant. When we rebel against what the Lord has taught us and walk in disobedience, the result is a dampening of the Holy Spirit's fire within us and we speed towards sin having a stranglehold on our lives. Those chains are heavy!

Praise God! He once again broke through this vicious cycle. Humbling myself, I cried out in desperation for forgiveness and He heard my cry! So where do the rose colored glasses come in? In my dialogue with the Lord and my own struggle to forgive myself, He led me to Ephesians chapter 1. Verse 4 says, "For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight." "Oh, Lord," I cried, "that really is how You see me! I'm so glad that You wear rose colored glasses!"

Now, can I just tell you that I LOVE that the Lord will never allow us to walk in freedom from a lie! No sooner had I voiced the words to Him then He replied, "I do NOT wear rose-colored glasses! They are blood red! The blood of My Son is sufficient for you." You see, God is Truth and He cannot bear lies. He cannot look on my sin and just disregard it to see me as holy and blameless but the blood that Christ shed for my sins on the cross was - and is - enough to pay the penalty of my sin. When my Heavenly Father looks at me, He sees me through the precious blood of Jesus Christ and that beautiful robe of Christ's perfect righteousness has been placed over my rags. Praise be to God!

For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross. This includes you who were once far away from God. You were His enemies, separated from Him by your evil thoughts and actions. Yet now He has reconciled you to Himself through the death of Christ in His physical body. As a result, He has brought you into His own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.
But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News. (Colossians 1:19-23a)