YOU ARE WORTHY
Agape not only lets us be who we really are, but it also frees the ones we love to be fully themselves. All our relationships will be affected when we love like this.
* “Let love be without hypocrisy.” Romans 12:9
*Treat others as you want to be treated.
Refuse to listen to the useless chatter of the enemy when he tries to convince you that you are flawed or worthless.
The Lord has not and will not condemn you. You are the Lord’s special treasure, chosen for His own purposes.
Satan is against you because he is against the Lord, and these lies are weapons formed against you. Do not believe them.
Psalms 139:14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.
…with the breastplate of righteousness in place… (Ephesians 6:14b).
Christ is the ground of your righteous standing before God, your acceptance before Him. If you are wearing that “breastplate,” you can rest secure that your heart, your emotions, are securely guarded and adequately protected against attack.
This is perhaps the most frequent ground of attack against Christian faith. *Christians often feel they lack assurance.
*They feel unworthy of God.
*They feel they are a failure in the Christian life and that God is certain to reject them, that He is no longer interested in them.
*They are so aware of their failures and shortcomings.
*Growth has been so slow. The first joy of faith has faded, and they feel God is angry with them or that He is far off somewhere.
*There is a constant sense of guilt and shame. Their conscience is always stabbing them, making them unhappy.
*They feel God blames them.
How do you answer an attack like this?
You are to remember that you have put on the breastplate of righteousness.
* In other words, you do not stand on your own merits. You never did. You never had anything worthwhile in yourself to offer to God.
*You gave all that up when you came to Christ.
*You quit trying to be good enough to please God.
*You came on His merits.
*You came on the ground of His imputed righteousness—that which He gives to you.
*You began your Christian life like that, and there is no change now. You are still standing before God on that basis.
Paul himself used this breastplate of righteousness when he was under pressure to be discouraged and defeated.
“What’s the use? Here I am working my fingers to the bone, making tents and trying to preach the gospel to these people, and look at the blessing God has brought them, but they don’t care. They hurl recriminations back into my face. Why try anymore?” But that is not what he does. Instead, he says,
“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not without effect” (1 Corinthians 15: l0a). There he is using the breastplate of righteousness.
“I don’t care,” he says, “what I have been; I don’t defend what I am. I simply say to you, by the grace of God, I am what I am.
What I am is what Christ has made me.
*I’m not standing on my righteousness; I’m standing on His. I am accepted by grace, and my personal situation does not make any difference at all.” So Paul’s heart was kept from discouragement.
*Take time to evaluate where you’ve been and to remember the things that you learned through your experiences.
*Do not give in to the temptations that come for you to be a victim of the difficulties you have endured, but rather use those lessons as a platform and a launching pad into greater wisdom and spiritual effectiveness.
* Those things have made you stronger and have the potential to increase your faith if you maintain a proper perspective.
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
The enemy has launched another round of reproach in an effort to try to get you to entertain fear of failure, to be overwhelmed with disapproval, and to dump down into hopelessness. But, the devil is a liar. You must be reminded that you are precious to the Lord. His love for you is true and forever. Abide in God’s love and in truth.
1 John 3:20 For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.
Father may these words meet me right where I am and help me right in the conflict in which I am engaged. Lift up my heart by the consciousness that Christ is my righteousness. Lord Jesus help me turn my back in my old ways most especially the ways influenced by the devil. Lord Jesus please send me the Holy Spirit and give me wisdom so that I may discern good from evil; and that I may totally leave my old life and start a new life with You O Lord Jesus Christ. Please Lord be my life. Amen.
“ For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Eph. 2:10