Session 1

How to live in the in-between

From Finding Freedom from Sin and Shame: A 7-Day Devotional

If you’ve ever experienced a leadership transition — whether it’s a new boss or a new parent company — you know the in-between is messy. Some days, you can see how this new direction is changing things for the better. And some days, it’s easier to slip back into the way things were. 

Living on Earth, at this point in history, is a lot like living through a company buyout. The leadership has changed. Jesus is on the throne. But evidence of the old regime surrounds us. As we look forward to life in the new heavens and the new earth, we’re daily confronted with the temptation to sin. And more often than we’d like to admit, we give in. 

Jesus never promised us an easy life, but He did promise to be with us through it all (John 16:33, Matthew 28:20). No matter how many times we fall short, we are still His. Jesus has already fought and won the battle against sin. We overcome disgrace with the grace Jesus provides. 

2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Jesus’ death and resurrection paid for our past, present, and future sin. When we mess up, the grace to cover our sins is already there. We simply need to access it through confession and repentance. 

Satan would love nothing more than to distract us from the commission we’ve been given. So if you have lingering questions about your worth or God’s nearness, know those are not from the Lord. 

We didn’t earn God’s favor, and we don’t need to fear reaching out to Him because of something we’ve done. Hebrews 4:16 tells us to “approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

Reflect: 

• Do you struggle to approach God when you’ve messed up? Why do you think that is?
• What, if anything, do you need to confess to God and ask forgiveness for?
• Is there any area of your life where God says you’re forgiven, but you’re still punishing yourself? What’s one way you can step into that forgiveness today?