Fear No Fear

“Yet to all who received Him, He gave the power to become sons of God, to those who believed in His name” (John 1:12, MEV). I hated hand-me-downs as a child. As a parent of six kids, I can understand the desire to get the most out of clothes and even the apparent economic necessity. But my preference is to give new things. Yet the greatest gift I was ever given was a hand-me-down. Jesus took off His righteousness in order to put on MY hand-me-down (my sins). He did that so that I could join Him in death and be resurrected into life in Him – HIS hand-me-down. Without His righteousness, I would not be righteous in God’s eyes. But because I am ‘wearing’ Jesus’ righteousness, I am like Jesus in God’s eyes (2 Corinthians 5:21). I am the righteousness of God in Jesus. I am His CHILD. That is an amazing gift. It boggles the mind. Without Holy Spirit to teach it to us, we really don’t understand it. I get what Jesus deserves (John 10:10; Psalm 103:10-12). I’m interacted with as if I was Jesus (Hebrews 4:16). God never forgets who we are (Psalms 103:11-14), but He also sees us as Jesus is (2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 1:11). That’s who WE ARE. Not sinners. Children of God (1 John 3:1). What a BLESSING that is! What love He has for us! What a GREAT God! He is SO good to us!