I Know I Am Loved by the King
by Abby McIntyre
For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying,
“This is the covenant that I will make with them
after those days, declares the Lord:
I will put my laws on their hearts,
and write them on their minds,”then he adds,
“I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”
Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.
—Hebrews 10:14-18
Many moments have whizzed by us this year, some full of pain and confusion that we haven’t yet had time to process.
Our God is outside of time. His Kingdom is not weighed down by disease, unrest, or political disagreement. And yet, He sent His son Jesus to intersect with time, to demonstrate perfect connection with God, and to make a sacrifice for us that would change time forever. God stepped into our world and gave us the opportunity to become citizens of his perfect Kingdom (Philippians 3:20).
In Hebrews 10 Paul talks about this sacrifice of God’s son; the lamb becoming a scapegoat for all sin. “By a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified” (v. 14). He promises that He will remember our sins and lawless deeds no more.
“Where there is forgiveness of these [humans’ sins and lawless deeds], there is no longer any offering for sin” (v. 18). Nothing more we can do! Nothing we can do to fix ourselves up for God. Jesus has made the ultimate sacrifice, giving His life for ours. By this He proves that we are unconditionally loved. Unconditionally forgiven. We are unconditionally perfected, even as we experience the journey of sanctification.
This understanding of our unconditional acceptance by God through Jesus leads to a response. Perhaps the understanding of God’s lavish love is what led Paul to write things like “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5).
Christian singer-songwriter Chris Tomlin wrote these lyrics in 2006:
How can I keep from singing Your praise?
How can I ever say enough
How amazing is Your love?
How can I keep from shouting Your name?
I know I am loved by the King
And it makes my heart want to sing
Like Paul, we can sing in the dark times (or the weird times, or the in-between times), for we know we are loved and en route to sanctification. Reflecting on the sacrificial love of our King Jesus ought to make us sing!
All Scripture is from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.