I love to encourage you with biblical writing. But the best encouragement you will ever receive is the ultimate encouragement of the Gospel. I love you too much to not let you hear about the One who loves you most—

A holy God loves us so much

that He sent His one, 

sinless Child, 

Jesus Christ, 

to die the death we deserved, 

paying the penalty for my and your 

personal sin,

and for cosmic sin—

yes, all of the world’s brokenness 

on Him,

so we could take on His righteousness,

living with His Spirit in us, here 

and living with Him, forever 

as He restores this broken world.

Hallelujah. He is a good God.

Lately, I’ve been increasingly burdened for those who don’t know Christ. Or even those who think He’s real but don’t walk with Him. 

This life is a mist and our main existence will be an eternal one—forever with Christ or forever in eternal damnation, separated from Him, which is what we all actually deserve.

As I went to sleep last night, I was increasingly burdened that I often neglect to appreciate one of the richest, most Hope-filled characteristics of God:

His holiness. 

When we truly surrender our lives to Christ, it is a turning from our sin toward Christ. That is repentance, and it demands we acknowledge our depraved state, incurable without Christ paying our due. 

“As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one…” Romans‬ ‭3:10‬ ‭NIV‬‬.

This is why the perfect Christ is our greatest need and why only He can fill the chasm between us and our holy God.

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians‬ ‭2:8-9‬ ‭NIV‬‬.)

Why does this matter?

Because our great sin points to God’s great holiness and great love. 

We need God to help us through this life, but He is so much more than a raincoat. 

As our salvation, Christ alone makes us capable of relationship with the God who loves us but despises sin. What love!

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans‬ ‭6:23‬ ‭NIV‬‬.)

I’ve always known I was a sinner but it was the pain and suffering over the past five years, watching Mom suffer and ultimately die from a degenerative disease, that magnified my depravity. 

It was grief that brought out ugliness in me that I had never seen. Anger, bitterness, jealousy, and the like, had all quietly subsisted when life went like it should. But when life didn’t—my gaping need for Christ’s redemption and perfection became undeniable. 

When life didn’t go right, I began to realize I need a God who sets all things right. There is so much messed up here. Injustice. Violence. Brokenness. Pain. Suffering. Death. Loss. And on. 

God’s holiness—that He is ineffably perfect and right—gives us great confidence that He will return, and He will set all things right. 

And it starts with His holy work in my sinful soul. 

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans‬ ‭5:8‬ ‭NIV‬‬.)

Oh, how we love and yearn for our holy God. Nobody loves us like He does. And He is more than worth repenting and surrendering to.

Praying for you, friend. ❤️