Happy Wednesday, Friends! Susie Larson here...

And to those visiting, I say welcome! I post every Wednesday and my sole purpose is to nourish your soul along the way. Each month I give away a $10.00 Starbucks gift card to someone who posts on my blog. So share an insight, bless lots of folks, and just maybe you'll win a jolt of java for you and a friend.

Now on to my topic...

On Tuesday I had Tullian Tchividjian (Billy Graham's grandson) on the show. He wrote a book titled, "Jesus + Nothing = Everything." It was a great interview; you'll love what he had to say. If you're interested here's the link to the podcast: Live the Promise interview with Tullian Tchividjian

Tullian passionately shared how being on the receiving end of gossip, fault-finding, and assigned motives "broke his legs" and taught him to fully depend on the Lord. He now walks in a whole new level of freedom and power! God showed him how very much he depended on man's approval for his peace of mind. Don't we all fall easily into that trap? 

And yet, when we put our hope in anything but Christ, even the noblest of causes or the best of people, those things become idols. Our hope is in the living, loving God who promises never to leave us or forsake us. 

Colossians 1:14 explains that through Christ’s victory on the cross, God has rescued US from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the Kingdom of His Son in whom we find redemption and the forgiveness of sin.

Redemption = clearing, absolution, debt honored, return

God has plucked us out of the enemy stronghold and placed us into His Kingdom where we are loved, cherished, cleansed, called, cared for, protected, equipped, and armed to stand.

We now stand in the Kingdom of His marvelous light! Read this powerful verse:

However, you are chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, people who belong to God. You were chosen to tell about the excellent qualities of God, who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). 

Even when we encounter conflict, rejection, misunderstanding, we still remain in the Kingdom with firm footing there. Remember, we have a secure standing because of what Jesus has done, not a hit-and-miss standing because of what we do.

Even though conflict and misunderstanding is painful, we must not give it so much power that we begin to doubt our firm standing of love, acceptance, qualification, and calling in the Kingdom of God’s Son.

Too often we see ourselves as standing on a little bitty spot of conditional acceptance. And we think we lose that ground when we misstep, misspeak, or mess up. But the ground is wide beneath our feet. Because of God’s precious grace there’s room for us to fall, trip, and get it wrong on occasion.

Not that we consider grace as a license to sin. May it never be!

But may we neither live in the other extreme where conditional love leaves us feeling constantly unsettled about who we are and what we possess.

If you’ve received Christ sacrifice for your sins, then His victory is your victory! You are now a joint heir with Christ! What He possesses is yours!

Nobody can separate you from God’s love (See Romans 8:38). No misstep can yank you out of the Kingdom of God’s Son. And everything you do from this day on is intended to be in response to what He’s already done.

He loves you. He’s rescued you. He’s forgiven you. He’s cleansed you. He’s renewed you. He’s restored you. He’s equipped you. And He sends you out, already complete in Him. Live now in response to what Christ has done for you. It’s a settled deal. Isn’t that wonderful?

Don’t make an idol out of the opinions of others. Live free. Live whole. And Love well.

Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory (Romans 5:1-2).

~Until next week.