All That He Can See

“The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.”  John 8:29

I read these words in my quiet time yesterday morning.  I liked the “with me” bit and the “not left me alone” bit.  There are times when I feel a little bit abandoned and left alone.  It was encouraging to know it was written there in the Bible that God was with me and I wouldn’t be left alone.  But then the last phrase was waiting there to throw the spanner into the works – “for I always do what pleases him.”  Jesus might be able to confidently say those words, but I never can.  It would be nice is the word “try” was somewhere in the sentence, but it isn’t.  The truth of the matter is that I don’t always do what pleases him.  Sometimes I don’t even try.  Does that mean that God steps away and leaves me to my own devices if I don’t please Him?

The Holy Spirit, even before I finished the thought in my head, rushed in to answer the question with a very firm “No!”

The thing is, when God looks at me, He doesn’t see me but He sees Christ.  My life, when I asked Jesus to be my Saviour, became hidden in Christ.  If there was a courtroom, and I was standing in the dock, and there was a prosecutor laying out all the evidence before God, and all that evidence was true, and I had no hope of acquittal – Christ would stand between me and the judge, God.  What God would see would be Jesus and all of His righteousness.  He wouldn’t see me at all. I am hidden. 

When Jesus said, “I always do what pleases him,” because I am hidden in Jesus, I am saying it too not because I always do what pleases God, but because Jesus does. 

I am still on the pathway of doing things to please God.  I am still responsible to work with God to be transformed.  But that list of evidence has been tossed out.  God doesn’t keep it in a back pocket and wave it at me every so often to drive me into righteous behaviour.  Jesus tells me to stay hidden in Him and He will do the things that please God through me.

All That He Can See

I don’t know how he does it but

He stands before God’s throne

Parading all my failures and

The chances that I’ve blown

He questions my commitment

And says that I fall short

For one who is redeemed I rarely

Act the way I ought

How quick to show my anger

How swift to chide and scold

How slow to show forgiveness

How oft’ must I be told?

The Father’s gaze is on me

The words ring in His ears

There are no words to offer

Ashamed I shed my tears

But then the Son steps forward

He stands to take my place

The Father looks not on me

But on His Son’s dear face

God knows my faults so clearly

But when He looks at me

The righteousness of Jesus

Is all that He can see