If you were to adopt a dog from the RSPCA, what criteria would it need to pass for you? Would it need to be young, cute, free from disease or having a good pedigree? It is unlikely that you would pick an aggressive, ugly dog with skin disease and fleas. Our natural inclination would be to choose the cute and playful puppy instead.

Often, we make the mistake of thinking the same way when it comes to our relationship with God. We think that we need to have the right criteria to be in the ‘good books’ with him. We believe we need to be attractive in some way, that we need the right actions or right thoughts, or to be the right kind of person. Paul says in Colossians 2:

“When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having cancelled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.”

If you are a Christian, Paul is very clear in saying you were not chosen by God because of some good quality that you possess.

We were dead to God, with many accusations against us. We were more like an ugly flea-bitten dog than a pedigree poodle. However, because of his undeserved favour he adopts us into his family, and we are declared holy and blameless because of what Jesus accomplished on the cross (Ephesians 1).

What a transformation!

This truth transforms our actions – not because our actions make us acceptable and attractive, but because our actions display this great work of transformation that God has done.

This truth also transforms our thinking about what it means to be in a relationship with God. Being declared holy and blameless is a gift, and so we are freed from the burden of trying to keep up appearances with God. We can lay the good, the bad and the disappointing before him, knowing he will still love us no matter what.

This takes us to the true, deep relationship that we were created for, where we feel no shame.