Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord will never count against them. Rom. 4:7-8What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Rom. 8:31-32
Dear heavenly Father, into a world of books, blogs and broadcasts focused on helping us discover how to get more “blessings” from you—telling us how to live a life that you reward, decorate, and “bless” with more stuff and less hassles, this verse rides in like a Trojan Horse filled with glory.
Like all words, categories, and concepts, true “blessedness” is defined only by you, heavenly Father. You alone have the right to define “blessing,” and you’ve done so. In the words of a broken king, David (Ps. 32:1-2), and a humbled Pharisee, Paul (Rom. 4:7-8), you’ve made abundantly clear what a “blessed life” is all about.
Put simply, to be in Christ is to be most blessed—to be completely forgiven of all our transgressions, once and for all—all of our sins, past, present and future, in word thought and deed; to know that you will never count our sins against us, because you dealt with Jesus in keeping with our sins and rewarded him according to our iniquity, on the cross; to know that you have declared us to be righteous in Christ—robed with his perfection, beauty and goodness. This is true blessedness; everything else, as they say, is “gravy.”
Abba, Father, whether I live in a penthouse or an outhouse, drive a BMW or pedal a bicycle, feast on caviar or munch on a crust of bread, have a retirement fund or live from paycheck to paycheck, wear updated fashion or hand-me-downs, am a hippie, hipster or homeless—I am a blessed man, a truly blessed man simply (and profoundly) because I am in Christ.
Indeed, there is no greater state of blessedness than to be in Christ; and in those moments (and longer seasons) of temporary insanity when I’m tempted to think otherwise, bring me back to gospel sanity. Forgive me when I want more, think I need more, or, even worse, demand more. Free me when I think life is about Jesus plus something else. All I will ever need is Jesus plus what you choose to graciously provide. I believe, help my unbelief. So very Amen pray, in Jesus’ merciful and mighty name.
