We can nod our head when we are reminded that it is only by God's grace we have life, but something prevents that from going any deeper. The true message gets tangled in this thick, deep forest of shame we have inside of us. In many instances, God has forgiven us for stuff for things we haven't forgiven ourselves for. We also often take sin much more seriously than God, it seems. We can become consumed with just how bad we are, and God's grace is not phased by it. It's removed, as far as the east is from the west. Grace is actually a hard thing to believe, it's so free and so sweet. It's contrary to our nature, and genuinely difficult to accept some times.
In Luke 2:14, after Jesus' birth and the angel appears to the shepherds, a 'multitude of the heavenly host' praises God saying:
"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace among those with whom he is pleased!"
I started to pray about this verse, because the idea of there being some people with whom he is pleased, my response was to worry about whether or not I was one of them.
In praying about this for a long time with many tangents and rabbit trails, I sort of finished and realized how peaceful I felt in the Spirit's presence at that time. I'm sure many of you can connect to moments like those when you breathe in just an abandoned comfort and hope. That feeling of peace that comes over you when the Spirit is present.
I realized that peace comes in the Holy Spirit to everyone who has received Him. The Spirit is what lives in and marks a born again Christian, and peace is a defining characteristic of His presence. Peace has come on earth in the form of the Holy Spirit.
I thought again about this idea that the heavenly hosts sings that peace would come on earth to those with whom He is pleased. I think He is pleased with us because we have started this relationship with Him. I don't think there is a group of elect born again Christians who are getting a better ROI on God's Spirit that He invests in them that He is pleased with. He is just pleased with us because we're in relationship with Him. His goal with us is exactly where you are sitting reading this right now, if you are a Christian. That's what pleases Him.
In the same way, He doesn't love us given we've done enough work for Him, or if we've stopped enough sins and become close enough to perfection. Any standard that we need to meet for Him to love us, and be pleased with us, is gone in the grace extended through the cross.
If you're like me and on this journey of actually letting God love you and kind of coming to terms with how nuts and how sweet of a deal this really is, the message I am getting from what I read here and when I pray is simply:
God is pleased with you. God loves you. You're saved in Christ. Saved and redeemed to a relationship with actual God. He is so pleased with you.
Think of the prodigal son come home. The dad was just simply overcome with joy that he was home. There was no other standard or requirement at all. The dad had put all of the sons' mistakes and stupidity behind him and just welcomed his son home and partied.
God is just pleased you are home, and honestly He wants to party with you. God is pleased with you.
Seek God with all your heart, but rest in the victory of the cross too. Don't let the work God has put in front of you some how conflict with the peace of His unchanging love and grace. The Spirit's presence is not conditional on how well you carry out your job - which is good news! These things were not meant to conflict at all.
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