WITHOUT

This post was written for Five Minute Friday

Word prompt--WITHOUT

Five minutes to free-write about it

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While I sat in my little prayer corner this Good Friday morning, reflecting on what my life might have been without Jesus, the accuser was busy working overtime, bringing everything up I've ever regretted or been ashamed of. Any other time he would have gotten to me, but he chose the wrong day.

His accusations were all true, and each one pierced my heart, but Jesus...

I was listening to a Good Friday devo our church had posted on FB as part of a days of Holy Week series, and feeling especially overwhelmed by the enormity of what Jesus did for us on the cross. 

The thought that God Himself would take on human flesh in the form of Jesus so He could personally feel and experience everything we do--every fear, trial, sorrow, temptation, hurt and pain--and love us so much that He was willing to die such a humiliating and excruciatingly painful death to redeem us from our sins and extend to us the gift of eternal life, was a little more than I could fathom. 

Without Jesus, there is no forgiveness.

Without Jesus, the slate could never be wiped clean.

Without Jesus, there would be no hope when there seems to be no way. 

Without Jesus, rejection would have a double sting.

How grateful beyond words I am that because of Jesus, I no longer need to be tormented by anything from my past. 

Those are just a few of my reflections on this Good Friday day.

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For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. -- John 3:16, NIV

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Jesus Christ. -- Romanse 3:23-24, NIV

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast. -- Ephesians 2:8-9, NIV

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. -- Romans 5:8, NIV

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. -- Romans 6:23, NIV

If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. -- Romans 10:9-10, NIV