Restoration

In art, restoration often involves returning a piece to it's former glory: cleaning up the residue of age, touching up parts of the piece that have faded with time, showing the current audience all of the splendor and beauty that the artist intended for the original audience.

As I seek to understand God's restoration in my own life, God's challenged me to think further than this.  When God speaks of restoration, He isn't simply referring to bringing us back to the time before we first sin or before we first experienced the brokenness of our fallen world.  No!  God challenges us to go further than that, challenges us to see who He created us to be before the beginning of time (Ephesians 1:4-5).  He longs to show us what it means to be restored in Him and to Him, longs for us to know life apart from our sin nature. He wants us to understand the completeness found solely in who we are in Him.

More so, God wants us to understand that this restoration is something that has already taken place!  We have a future hope in Christ, AND we have hope in Christ NOW!  For God has already restored us through the death and resurrection of Christ!  Our God is mighty to save!  God has not left us in our shameful state or our brokenness; He has replaced our shame with a double portion, our disgrace with everlasting joy (Isaiah 61:7).  In Christ, we are completely restored, for it is no longer we but Christ in us who lives (Galatians 2:20).  We have been restored, COMPLETELY restored, in Christ and to Christ!  Our God is mighty to save!

LORD, teach me to live in this restored life.  Teach me to live as a vessel of You.  Teach me to live a life free of past regrets and sin, free of striving, free of self-seeking sinfulness.  Teach me to live as Christ.