Students: How has your summer been?

If you haven’t yet been asked the question “How has your summer been?”, then it surely won’t be long before you are.

What would your answer be? Fantastic, fun or frantic; miserable, mind-numbing or mediocre?

What about when it comes to your relationship with Jesus? 
Have you been remembering what Christ has done for you on the cross?
Have you enjoyed knowing him? 
How have your ‘quiet times’ been going? 
How has praying been? 
Are you winning battles in your struggle against sin? 
Have you read a Christian book this holiday?
Been getting to church regularly?

Whether you’ve had a good or bad summer, we all need to hear this:

Your worst days are never so bad that you are beyond the reach of God’s grace. And your best days are never so good that you are beyond the need of God’s grace. (Jerry Bridges, The Discipline of Grace, p19)

A Christian’s righteousness is found in Christ; it is in him that we have redemption and the forgiveness of sins (Colossians 1:13-14). So if you’ve had a good summer, if you’re loving Jesus more and obeying his commands more now than you were at the beginning of the summer then praise God! But know that that doesn’t mean you are beyond the need of God’s grace – your righteousness is found in Christ.

But for those of us who have had a bad summer, who have struggled in our battles with sin and feel distant from the Lord our God then know that you are never beyond the reach of God’s grace. A Christian is right in God’s sight not according to their actions but Christ’s death on the cross – your righteousness is found in Christ.

So what do we do then? Well this is Martin Luther’s advice, preach it to yourself:

When the devil throw our sins up to us and declares that we deserve death and hell, we ought to speak thus: “I admit that I deserve death and hell. What of it? Does this mean that I shall be sentenced to eternal damnation? By no means! For I know One who suffered and made satisfaction in my behalf. His name is Jesus Christ, Son of God. Where He is, there I shall be also!” (Martin Luther, Letters of Spiritual Counsel, p86-87)

How has your summer been? Whatever the answer is to that question, remember ‘there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus’ (Romans 8:1) and rejoice. Keep going!