He Gone

READ: EXODUS 26:31-33; MATTHEW 27:35-37, 50-52; 1 JOHN 4:10

We are all human and we all sin, so, until we see Jesus face-to-face, there will be times when we mess up (Romans 3:23; 2 Corinthians 3:18).

When we stumble, slip, and fall, sometimes it seems impossible to find our way back. We let our failures keep us from going back to our forgiving, loving God, giving them far too much influence in our lives.

Have you ever thought any of the following?

• God could never love me after everything I’ve done.

• He’ll never take me back now.

• He’s probably looking down on me now, thinking, “Well, he gone.”

• What’s wrong with me? Why can’t I just get it right?

My friend, let me tell you some truth: you are never too far gone. There is nothing you can do to separate yourself from God’s love in Christ.

We have sinned and will continue to sin; there is no avoiding it. But the good news is that Jesus Christ, who is God, came to live here as a human and die for our sins. When He died on the cross, He took all our sin with Him. He paid the price for our sins so we don’t have to.

Jesus loves us so much that He died for us and will never leave us. Because of what He did, we find our new identity in Him, not in our sinfulness. He will go to the ends of the earth to find us and love us with all His being.

Jesus tore the veil (our sin) that separated us from God (Isaiah 59:2). He rose from the grave and gave us a way to live with Him eternally.

Think about it. We can look at our sin and at that empty tomb and gladly say, “He gone.” • Heather Risher

• What has made you feel like you are too far gone?

• When have you felt this way? Is there anything connecting these times?

• What can you do to remember how loved you are in Christ?

Nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:39 (CSB)