2 minute read.
Daily Reading: Ezra 1-2 GW; Psalms 84 GW
God blesses innocent living.
Innocent means free from guilt; not having done wrong or violated any law; not tainted with sin; pure; upright. In this general sense, no human being that is a moral agent. Free from the guilt of a particular crime or evil action. Lawful; permitted.
Jesus is the only truly innocent person to walk the earth. Placed on the cross, He paid the price for our sins, not His. When we put our faith in Jesus, we become innocent. God forgives us of our past and gives us a future filled with hope. Our role is to “Go now and leave your life of sin,” the same as Jesus commanded the adulterous woman (John 8:11 NIV).
Innocent living is done one day at a time. When God convicts you of sin in your life, you address it. Confess the misdeed, accept God’s forgiveness and try not to do it again. If you falter, repeat the process.
God blesses effort.
Jesus makes us innocent. To live upright, we must follow Him. God will bless our efforts as we stumble along. We have to learn to have grace when we falter, and we also need to accept that we will falter.
Teaching tennis camp this summer, I had a particular student that was incredibly hard on herself. Because she expected perfection from every shot, the slightest error caused her discouragement. Taking her aside, I asked her to do me a favor; would she please give herself a break. The more she beat herself up, the worst she played. I explained to her; no one does anything well the first time they do it.
Innocent living isn’t something we can do without Jesus. Trying to leave our imperfections behind will require grace. Don’t beat yourself up because you’re not perfect. Instead, accept that God created you for a purpose. God knows you will falter. He blesses you abundantly for trying to do the right thing.
Do the best you can to live innocently. Give yourself grace when necessary. God will bless your efforts.
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Lord, thank You for giving us Jesus to cleanse us. Forgive us for our sins. Help us strive to do better than we did yesterday. Day by day, moment by moment, help us live innocently, serving You wholeheartedly. Help us have grace for ourselves. Please bless our efforts. IJNIP. Amen
Question for reflection
What do you need to forgive yourself for today?
