The Superior Love of God in Christ for all Inferiority
The gospel challenges all inferiority complexes.
Shame? We are completely forgiven, washed, and cleansed. God looks at us, and sees us pure in Christ. Christ himself has gently taken off our rags, lovingly washed us completely, and has covered us in his righteousness, radiant robes of white. Feel his healing touch as he scrubs, covers, and then presents us to his Father as a pure, radiant, blameless child and bride.
Guilt? There is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. There is nothing held against us. Past, present, and future sins are covered by Christ. The past is forgotten, the present is covered, and the future is assured by Christ.
Are others better Christians than us? In truth, there are no Christians who are “better” than one another. All are covered equally by the blood of Christ. We are all saved by grace. There is nothing we do that deserves his grace—a Christian cannot tell another that he is better because of what he has done or has not done in the past, what he does or does not do in the present. Grace humbles us all, puts all on the same playing field. Paul was held by his friends to be one of the most righteous men before he met Christ—yet afterward, he recognized he was a sinner, no better than the prostitute, the addict, the idolater.
Are others more gifted, more talented, more intelligent, more ___? God uniquely crafted you. By his Spirit, he has given you unique talents. He has placed you as you in this unique time and place for a specific purpose he has for you for his glory (Acts 17:26-28; Eph. 2:10). There is something only you--with your hair color, eye color, skin color, intelligence level, talents, skills, spiritual gifts, passions, desires, dreams, etc. can do. He values that, he values you.
Failure? The Bible recounts many failures of the Israelites, but it recounts the long-suffering patience of God. He knows we are finite beings and has grace on us. He does not demand perfection of us--he, more than anyone else, knows we are not capable of that. That is why Christ died, that is why we are given the Spirit. We are completely accepted and covered in Christ--failure does not affect God's love or estimation of us. We cannot disappoint God; he already knew and already provided for that in Christ. In his sovereign decrees, he will use that for his glory still. Thus, he gives grace in our finitude, he has covered it, and he will use it. Failure has nothing against the gospel.
Rather, we are blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ. We are loved because we are in the Beloved (Eph. 1:6). Because we are in Christ and thus adopted as his children, we are treasured, delighted in, sung over by the Creator, the only one whose opinion ultimately counts (Ps. 35:27; Zeph. 3:17; Ex. 19:5). We are given the Spirit to help us. We are transformed into his likeness; he is working in us. What do we lack? How can we be inferior with God's seal of approval, the Spirit indwelling us, God's mighty power working in us, the life of Christ in us, and becoming like Christ? In the gospel, we are HIS! In whatever way we feel inferior, Christ has covered it and the Spirit is working on renewing into the likeness of Christ, and all will be used for the glory of God. We are HIS in Christ, and loved as God loves Christ himself! (John 17:20-25).
Shame? We are completely forgiven, washed, and cleansed. God looks at us, and sees us pure in Christ. Christ himself has gently taken off our rags, lovingly washed us completely, and has covered us in his righteousness, radiant robes of white. Feel his healing touch as he scrubs, covers, and then presents us to his Father as a pure, radiant, blameless child and bride.
Guilt? There is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. There is nothing held against us. Past, present, and future sins are covered by Christ. The past is forgotten, the present is covered, and the future is assured by Christ.
Are others better Christians than us? In truth, there are no Christians who are “better” than one another. All are covered equally by the blood of Christ. We are all saved by grace. There is nothing we do that deserves his grace—a Christian cannot tell another that he is better because of what he has done or has not done in the past, what he does or does not do in the present. Grace humbles us all, puts all on the same playing field. Paul was held by his friends to be one of the most righteous men before he met Christ—yet afterward, he recognized he was a sinner, no better than the prostitute, the addict, the idolater.
Are others more gifted, more talented, more intelligent, more ___? God uniquely crafted you. By his Spirit, he has given you unique talents. He has placed you as you in this unique time and place for a specific purpose he has for you for his glory (Acts 17:26-28; Eph. 2:10). There is something only you--with your hair color, eye color, skin color, intelligence level, talents, skills, spiritual gifts, passions, desires, dreams, etc. can do. He values that, he values you.
Failure? The Bible recounts many failures of the Israelites, but it recounts the long-suffering patience of God. He knows we are finite beings and has grace on us. He does not demand perfection of us--he, more than anyone else, knows we are not capable of that. That is why Christ died, that is why we are given the Spirit. We are completely accepted and covered in Christ--failure does not affect God's love or estimation of us. We cannot disappoint God; he already knew and already provided for that in Christ. In his sovereign decrees, he will use that for his glory still. Thus, he gives grace in our finitude, he has covered it, and he will use it. Failure has nothing against the gospel.
Rather, we are blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ. We are loved because we are in the Beloved (Eph. 1:6). Because we are in Christ and thus adopted as his children, we are treasured, delighted in, sung over by the Creator, the only one whose opinion ultimately counts (Ps. 35:27; Zeph. 3:17; Ex. 19:5). We are given the Spirit to help us. We are transformed into his likeness; he is working in us. What do we lack? How can we be inferior with God's seal of approval, the Spirit indwelling us, God's mighty power working in us, the life of Christ in us, and becoming like Christ? In the gospel, we are HIS! In whatever way we feel inferior, Christ has covered it and the Spirit is working on renewing into the likeness of Christ, and all will be used for the glory of God. We are HIS in Christ, and loved as God loves Christ himself! (John 17:20-25).
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