Life in the Sandbox

Life in the Sandbox
Words of Faith 5-7-24
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2024
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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1 John 2
[1] My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody
does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense, Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. [2] He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole
world.

Have you ever looked at a child at play in a sandbox and felt you could see all the potential of what that child is likely to become? The child can't see it, but you can. Sometimes, it's a quick wit, a bright mind, an ear for music, or an innate athletic ability. Even if we watch the child make mistakes, we can see something of the future, even though the child cannot see much beyond the sandbox.
Jesus must look at us in much the same way. We see only the mistakes we last made, the flaws in the last sand castle, and the spats we got into with playmates. But Jesus sees all we are to become, redeemed, and complete. Jesus also watches us as we struggle toward that completion. The fancy word for that process is "sanctification."
When we receive Jesus and His grace, we have a position of righteousness purchased by Jesus, but we still journey toward completion. John will say many strong things in this letter to Christians about sin. His intention is "that you will not sin." That is the goal. But part of the reality is we probably will sin. Even the most sanctified and holy people we ever know still sin; they are just more aware of their shortcomings and more grateful for His grace.
We may even reach a point in our walk with God where we do not intentionally rebel, but we are still likely to err. Praise God! There is Someone who sees where we are going more than the mistakes we make. Praise God! There is One who looks ahead to the fulfillment of the journey. He is Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. And He is our advocate in the eternal process of the universe.
When we sin deliberately, He is grieved. Yet He defends us. And when we sin by error, He is corrective. But no matter how we sin, he reminds the court that these sins have already been paid in full. You cannot hire a defense attorney like that anywhere! He also reminds the Father of what they both see, the end result. Praise God.

Lord Jesus, Righteous One of God, thank You for being my advocate. Thank You for focusing on my life's goal rather than the roadway. Thank You for paying in advance the cost of my errors and missteps. Forgive my moments of self-centered rebellion. I give this day to You. In Your name, Amen.

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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2024 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.