Back to the Basics

Hebrews 10:19-23 "Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, His body, and since we have a great high priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.  Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful."
     No matter where you are in life, no matter the profession, we have "basics" that are foundational to what will have us succeed.  For basketball, dribbling, ball handling, stamina, shooting and such are what keep a player go on through a strong career.  It doesn't matter, the basics are what will keep us grounded and on a solid foundation.  The most basic tenant of our faith is that Jesus died for our sins, but is also the most important thing in the world for us.  The process of which Jesus dying for us, He tore the veil that stood between us and God.  This "curtain" that is referenced is the curtain that stood between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place in the temple where the Ark of the Covenant and the Shekina Glory (God's manifest presence) dwelled.  Only the high priest could enter it, once a year, to make sacrifice for sins of the nation of Israel and for himself.  This was where atonement was made for Israel year after year.  This was a big deal and a shadow of things to come.
     Once Jesus died, the curtain (which was incredibly thick and tall) was torn in two, signaling that there is no longer a barrier between us and God.  Because of sin, there had been a great chasm, a barrier that was impossible to cross.  At Christ's death and resurrection, the chasm bridged, the barrier broken down and nothing in all creation can stand between us and Him, now.  So now, there's this amazing opportunity to come and commune with the King, which is why we were originally created, freely without anything in all creation to stand in our way.  There's no real reason for us not to enter into the Holy of Holies now.  What's holding us back?
     So let me ask you, why are you putting a veil up?  Who are you to push away the God who loves you so passionately, intensely, sincerely and tenderly?  Why are you saying, "Thanks for Your sacrifice, Jesus, but I don't really need it"?  Why spit in the face of He who loves you and died for you?  Let me tell you this, anything that you feel "disqualifies" you or makes you inadequate for the salvation that God offers us is a sham.  It's not true; nothing disqualifies us because God qualifies us.  Your placing of a barrier between you and God is only putting Jesus upon the cross again and saying that His sacrifice wasn't enough!  Heed the words of Ephesians 2:8-10 "For it is by grace that you have been saved, through faith- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works so that no one can boast.  For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which GOD PREPARED IN ADVANCE FOR US TO DO." (Sure, that perhaps doesn't necessarily pertain to salvation to a "t"... but the "good works" that God has prepared for us, He wouldn't call us to them if He didn't think that we weren't "worthy" of it.)  Don't excuse yourself from life to day on the pretense of your past. (quote from August Burns Red song "Existence") 
    On the basis of you feeling "unworthy", not "good enough", in regards to God's makes you love, or to love in general, I have blunt words: those are lies from the pit of hell!  Evidence is screaming at you otherwise about how worthy you really are of God's love.  One thing makes you "worth it:" Jesus' death and resurrection.  He deemed you worthy by His death and rising.  Don't you dare call Christ a liar; when He declares that you are worth it, live with it!  Wouldn't you rather walking around feeling worth it and not worth it?  Walking around with hope instead of despair?  Everything in scripture screams at us that we are worthy of His love because of His death on the cross.  It's true, we do not deserve it, we deserved death.  However, in the face of that truth, Christ declared a new one: "I love My children, they are worth My love because I choose to die for them."  Dare to challenge me?  Check the gospels, check the epistles, check the entire Bible.  God placed great value in us, and declared that we are worthy of His love solely by His choice to die for us.