I woke up in the middle of the night to use the restroom, but my mind was racing. I have no idea what I'd been dreaming about -- but it was if I woke up kind of in mid-sentence. Has that ever happened to anybody else? It was like I was interrupting myself.
So what was on my mind? Believe it or not it was correction tape ... white out. You know that stuff we use now to wipe out our mistakes ... the alternative to liquid paper. That's right, I woke up thinking about correction tape. Weird, huh? And the mid-sentence line of thinking was a parallel to white out and how God's forgiveness through the blood of Christ whites out our sins.
I have no idea why I was thinking about that in the middle of the night. Our mind does really strange things to us sometimes, doesn't. But I'm thankful I woke up with this on my mind and heart because -well, because it got me to writing tonight. Another reason I'm thankful is because I was reminded of God's wonderful grace!
The book of Ephesians tells us God is rich in grace and mercy. We are reminded of our great spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 3:7 is only one of the verses that speak of these riches. "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace."
It is through the blood of Christ that our sins are blotted out. We are washed white as snow. Just like correction tape will make our typing or writing errors disappear, and make that part of the page white again and allow us to correct our paper - so the blood of Christ makes our lives white again. And we get the wonderful opportunity to correct not paper -- but our LIVES.
Do you get that? Correction tape covers up the mess on the page and lets us start again. What a great invention! It is a huge help to office workers around the world. I know, I've used it quite often.
So much more importantly, more powerful than this is the blood of Christ. His loving sacrifice was given for everyone in the world. His gift allows us to cover up the mess of sinful life. We get to start again -- right where we are. We leave our worldly lives behind. Romans 6:4 tells us: "We were buried with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life."
Christ frees us from sin. Being cleansed from sin, we are no longer enslaved by worldly desires. The Spirit tells us (through Paul) to "put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness." What a great encouragement!
Does this mean we will live perfect lives? Not at all! We are still human. We will mess up occasionally. God knows that. Even when we love Him and seek Him continually -- even when we strive to live as He would have us live -- we will make mistakes. Even then His great love and mercy has us covered.
It's still kind of like the correction tape. Just because I make a mistake on my paper and white it out one time doesn't mean I won't make a mistake on another paper at another time or two ... or ten! But, I still have access to correction tape. I can still get rid of the error.
As followers of Christ, we have access to His blood.
I John 1:7 - "But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin." What a beautiful promise to those of us who are His!
I'm so glad there is such a thing as correction tape.
I am immeasurably more glad Jesus shed His precious blood for me! Aren't you?
Christ above all things,
Robin Whitley
