Saturday, June 14, 2014

The Advocate and the Accuser

December 28, 2011 at 7:13pm
I don’t have any kids but I have dogs - 2 BIG dogs...and they both sort of have “issues.” Bubby is really sweet and well adjusted, but she was hit by a car two years ago and so she can only use her front 2 legs to walk. Bella is normal physically, but she was abused before we got her. She is also sweet as a peach, but she has fear aggression, so she barks (really loudly) at strangers and any guests we have at the house. (Update 2014: Bella is much better adjusted now and only barks at other dogs, not people.)

One day someone who has been around my dogs a little bit said to us, “Your dogs are disobedient.” I immediately took offense at this. “My dogs are not disobedient,” I thought to myself. Sure, they have issues, but if you realized how far they have come you would not say that about them. Bella was a shell when we first got her. She would not go on a leash, and she wouldn’t interact with anyone. Considering where she has come from, she is doing great. And Bubby is a miracle dog. She has overcome incredible odds and any disobedience is probably just the result of her frustration at the condition she has to live with.

This is the same way God looks at us. Satan is our accuser. He acts as an attorney pointing out our flaws, constantly accusing us and trying to get us in trouble for it. But to God we are family. He loves us like a good Dad. We are his kids. He sees where we have come from. He doesn’t judge us by comparing us to anyone else, and he doesn’t judge us unfairly. He’s rooting for us. He sees how far we have come. God loves you even more than you love yourself.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"For the accuser of our brothers and sisterswho accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down." (Revelation 12:10)

 See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put fine garments on you.” (Zechariah 3:4b)

"God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." (1 Corinthians 5:21)

"My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world." (1 John 2:1)

No comments: