From Ashes to Glory

Next Wednesday, February 14, is Ash Wednesday, which begins the season of Lent (Easter Sunday is 40 days later, April 1 this year). Ash Wednesday is a day that reminds us of "dust and ashes," Biblical symbols of repentance. The day, and the next 40 days of Lent, gives us a focused time to bring our lives and our shortcomings before our Creator.

But does the Lord ever get tired of hearing us bring our faults to him and ask for forgiveness? Or for that matter, since we know Jesus' death on the cross has paid for all of our sins for all time, maybe we don't need to confess and ask for forgiveness?

Well, yes, we need to continue to recognize our own humanity, with our tendency to drift away from God and fall into -- let's face it -- sin. John the Beloved writes "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9-10). This was written to believers, not sinners coming to Jesus for the first time. And since John writes that God is "faithful..to forgive us our sins" we shouldn't be concerned that he will stop hearing us. (Of course, our sin shouldn't be the only topic of our prayers!)

I used the word "shortcomings" above, deliberately. Romans 3:23 says that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" and Paul writes in 2 Cor. 3:18 that our Christian life is one of beholding the glory of Christ, and "being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another." So one could say that we are slowly, day by day, moving "from ashes to glory" in our relationship with God. Keeping our eyes on our Savior helps us remember that 'we aren't there yet' ourselves, but that his power and his love have delivered us, already, from bondage to sin and death, so we aren't discouraged. Both are important reminders in this season.