Many people are made to be decent. It’s as if they never do anything wrong. Their hair is always perfect. They are really pleasant people and won’t harm a fly.

I wish I could’ve been like that, but I’m more of a boundary tester. And it’s not as if I go looking to test the boundaries. Before I know it, I’m on the other side of the fence and have to face the consequences.

That often makes me feel bad. I take out the cane and punish myself. My self-image breaks into pieces and I don’t know how to get back to the other side of the boundary. I’m ashamed of my actions and afraid someone will see me on that side.

I wonder if others also sometimes fall over the boundary like me.

Fortunately, there’s good news for us sinners: ¹²They’ll get to know me by being kindly forgiven, with the slate of their sins forever wiped clean. The almighty God is speaking here.

Certainly, that’s the best news a boundary breaker and sinner could ever hear, because it’s as if God is turning a blind eye. No, it’s much more than that. The Good News Translation helps us understand it: ¹²I will forgive their sins and will no longer remember their wrongs.

It’s grace alone. God’s grace is so great that He no longer takes our wrong deeds into account to determine whether we can enter His house one day. It no longer depends on me. I no longer have to have an animal die in my place for all the wrong things I did on the other side of the boundaries.

This was made possible by the new covenant that God put on the table. The old agreement hadn’t work so well. Priests, who were also human, with sin, played too big a role.

With the new agreement God took out almost everything that humans had to do. Jesus took over that role. He gave Himself as sacrifice for our sin. That sacrifice was big enough for each and every boundary breaker. Your sins included.

When I realise what God had done for me, that He overlooks the things I do wrong, it motivates me to stay away from the boundaries. I no longer want to keep pushing against the boundaries. I want to live with gratitude for what He has done, so that God doesn’t have to turn away from the things I’ve done.

Let’s take hands and try to live in such a way that God will look at us and be satisfied with our lives. Let’s also help others to live like that and let’s take their hands and lead them away from the boundaries. Then we will all be agreeable to God and pleasant to look at.

Scripture
Hebrews 8:7-13

Reflection
Do you sometimes trip over the boundaries?
What can you do to do that less often?
How can you help others?

Prayer
Father, it’s such good news to me that You will not attribute my sins to me. Thank you for making me feel better about myself. Thank you for all that grace. Now I want to do more of what You want me to do. Please help me to do it! In Jesus’ Name, amen.