Never Beyond: You Are More…You’ve Been Redeemed

People of the Second Chance have posted their next in the Never Beyond series:  More Than Your Mistakes.   Today I am looking in the mirror at myself.  Are my past deeds too bad that I’m beyond redemption?  Have I done unforgivable things?

The Bible says, “Yes, I am beyond redemption”.  My sin separates me from God.  Sin is punishable by death.

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins – Ephesians 2:1

But, because of a loving God and His Son, we are now never beyond redemption, IF I chose to accept the wonderful gift of salvation.

  and through him God reconciled everything to himself.  He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross. 

This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault. – Colossians 1:20-22

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace  – Ephesians 1:7

He sent redemption to his people; he has commanded his covenant forever.  Holy and awesome is his name! – Psalm 111:9

How much easier can it be?  I’ve done it:  I admit I’m a sinner, believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and I confess that I’ve sinned and that I need a Savior.  I can not be my own savior.  I am a very flawed creature.  I am not a god.  I gave my heart to God.  I work on my relationship with Him to get to know Him better.

Listen to Tenth Avenue North; they say it better than I can.

You Are More- sung by Tenth Avenue North
Mike Donehey/Jason Ingram

There’s a girl in the corner with tear stains on her eyes
From the places she’s wandered and the shame she can’t hide
She says, “How did I get here? I’m not who I once was,
and I’m crippled by the fear that I’ve fallen too far to love.”

But don’t you know who you are
What has been done for you
Don’t you know who you are

You are more than the choices that you’ve made
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes
You are more than the problems you create
You’ve been remade

Well she tries to believe it that she’s been given new life
But she can’t shake the feeling that it’s not true tonight
She knows all the answers and she’s rehearsed all the lines
So she’ll try to do better but then she’s too weak to try

‘Cause this is not about what you’ve done
But what’s been done for you
This is not about where you’ve been
But where your brokenness brings you to
This is not about what you feel but He felt to forgive you
And what He felt to make you new

© 2010 Sony/ATV Timber Publishing / West Main Music / Formerly Music / Windsor Hill Music (SESAC)

Never Beyond: You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch

The People of the Second Chance have put out their latest poster in the Never Beyond series:  Stink.  Stank.  Stunk.  Grace.  Do you have those people that you absolutely hate spending your Christmas or other holidays with?  Those people that make everything about them?  Those people that turn every discussion into a World War Three?  Do you do anything you can to get out of those family gatherings?

You might never know who you will touch during one of those family gatherings.  Perhaps YOU are one of “those” people that someone in your family dreads having at the family gathering.  Everyone should have someone to spend Christmas with.  Whether it’s your family or your family-of-choice that you’re spending the Christmas holiday with, remember that everyone deserves a second chance.  Even the Grinch got one.

Never Beyond: Percentages

The People of the Second Chance‘s new post is up.  You can see it here:  We Are the 100%.  In the midst of the Occupy Wall Street and Occupy movement, I’ve learned about all sorts of percentages that people say they are a part of.  I’ve learned that I’m a member of the 99% and that I belong to the 53%.  But the percentage that I most identify with is the 100%.

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God – Romans 3:23

In case you needed clarification, all is 100%.  Everyone.  Me.  You.  But we take this verse out of context.  The whole sentence gives us hope.

This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.  There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. – Romans 3:22-24

I am the 100%.  I am part of the group that sins, that needs God grace.  And praise God, that through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, I am never beyond God’s forgiveness.