"My children, you do not really understand the wonders of repentance. Most of you are afraid of humbling yourselves in front of each other to the point that you would rather keep an offense active than aggressively pursue reconciliation. It is the same way that you treat Me. You come to Me with your offenses only when I have broken your heart to the point that you can no longer stand it. Then you pour your remorse out for a moment and walk away until the next time you feel you must come. It is a vicious, unnecessary cycle. Too much wonderful fellowship is missed between times of cleansing.

        "True freedom is the wonder of living a life of repentance before each other and with Me. That kind of life is not weakness; it is true strength. It is absolute, open fellowship without any hindrances. As you come to Me instantly and often, I have ample opportunity to impart Myself to you, allow you to grow unfettered by sin; and see you remain in a humble position before Me.

        "You are allowed to continually benefit from a flow of My grace, mercy, and forgiveness. Because of the openness of this kind of interaction, My Word rings clearly in your spirit, My voice is unmistakable over the din of life; and My direction is clear, quieting all of the opposing opinions.

        "I love to see you in a constant state of forgiveness. I love to flow continuously with you through your life. I love unbroken fellowship. Keep a short account with Me concerning sin. Come to me freely and often. You will be amazed how your life changes. You will be astounded at the power I give you to overcome the world. You will find the prosperity of continuous forgiveness so rewarding that your life as it exists now will seem dull and dreary as you look back on it from a position of freedom."

Romans 8:1-2 AMP

1) Therefore, [there is] now no condemnation (no adjudging guilty of wrong) for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live [and] walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit.

2) For the law of the Spirit of life [which is] in Christ Jesus [the law of our new being] has freed me from the law of sin and of death.

Hebrews 10:14b NIV

...because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.

Have you ever seen someone who cherishes something he owns, such as a new car? I don't mean someone who simply enjoys the car and drives it; I mean someone who washes, polishes, and meticulously removes every hint of dust, dirt, or even water spot. Extending that thought even further, take someone who owns a show car.

If you've never attended a custom auto show, you should. Go there, however, with the thought that sin is like a speck of dirt. Gross sin is mud. Separation from God is a demolished car and repentance is the restoring agent. Now walk the aisles as a judge who gives out the trophies would, looking for the slightest flaw or hint of imperfection. To the untrained eye, every one of the displays looks perfect. To the judge, however, any shortcut taken in the building of the car stands out like a flashing light.

It is the same with the owners. Any owner who has a tendency to cut corners, or not seek perfection, will attempt to direct the attention of the judge with some sort of flashy make-believe, actually seeing him as an adversary who needs to be overcome.

The owner who knows everything is in order anticipates and welcomes the judge, knowing his car is the best that he can make it. Both judge and owner are there for the joy of being part of the best, rather than simply getting by. They participate together, both enjoying the wonder of the perfection available and working toward that end.

If the judge should find even the slightest flaw, causing the owner to lose the trophy for that show, you can bet that the flaw will be non-existent for the next show. Finding the flaw is simply one step closer to perfection as far as the owner is concerned. It is not an indictment, but an opportunity to be better and more confident next time.

So it is with our relationship with God. We can look at our loving Father as an angry, scrutinizing judge who wants to find imperfections in us so that He can punish us for not being perfect; or we can see our relationship as a union, building a work of perfection together, and enjoying each step of the way.

The first attitude leads to legalism, fear, and a haphazard relationship. The second is a picture of cooperation, mutual goals, and intimate communication, which leads to a wondrous fellowship, absent of any hint of fear. Each "speck" of dust found is enthusiastically removed and considered grounds for intimate communication in a relationship designed to attain the best "product" available - one that glorifies the Father, represents and pleases the Son, rejoices in the comfort of the Holy Spirit and points to their perfecting work. That is true freedom!

Wanting to live in cooperation with my loving Father,

Jim Corbett