He tells us to remember when we first encountered his love. To remember what we felt like, and to recall what we received. We’re encouraged to stand firmly in the truth of who we are, because receiving God’s love has changed us, we got a new identity. God himself made the way for us to come close to him, through the cross. He made us pure, holy, blameless, able to stand before him without fault. When we receive this truth, really catch it, we’re free, and we feel free. Free of condemnation, free from even the mistakes and failures of our past… ‘remember when’ holds no fear for us.
He says remember, the joy, peace, and love you experienced. Don’t be persuaded away from what you found when you first believed. Some people say that there’s some kind of weird ‘honeymoon’ period with God. Everything’s great as a new Christian, but watch out--God’s going to start teaching you something now! This view is not consistent with who God is, he takes us from glory to glory, blessing upon blessing, and his good promises fulfilled. He says, remember when… I saved you, freed you, loved you, healed you, made you whole and blameless. Righteous, the right to stand before God free of fear. Of course God is teaching us stuff, he’s our loving personal trainer telling us to remember when… because we’ll live according to who we think we are. Now, we can learn and grow from our mistakes instead of feeling trapped by them and condemned. Remember when… first love… that he loved us first. Our real life begins when we encounter and receive God’s love for us, we become products of Jesus finished work, and not our own frail humanity. Remember when… it strengthens and encourages us. Mmmm… a shared life experience with God himself.
