Once again I find myself humbled before the Cross...

Last week I was not honest to a friend of mine. In fact, I pretty much lied to him about something. It gnawed at my conscience during the week and I made the decision to approach him about it and ask for forgiveness. As I did, there was an attitude of relief in telling the truth and my friend was so gracious in forgiving quickly. However, a few hours later, I began to have feelings of guilt over my dishonesty even though I had been forgiven by my friend. As I sat at home afterwards, I was reminded of the totality and finality of Christ's forgiveness to me. Not only had my friend forgiven me, but Christ had forgiven me as well. In my brokenness, I was led to the passage in Philippians 3:

Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith-- that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

 I am thankful for the conviction that was laid upon my heart, as well as the grace that allowed me to approach my friend and tell him the truth.