“…participation in Christ means abandoning our pretenses, openly acknowledging our identities as sinners in bondage, and in the same moment realizing with a stab of piercing joy that the victory is already ours in Christ, won by him who died to save us.” Fleming Rutledge, The Crucifixion (p. 171)
We CAN face our true identity as being in sinful bondage because Christ has already been there and set us free. We don’t have to see our sin and then create a fresh hell for ourselves. We instead see his work that has already been done. We see our sin and bondage from heaven’s view, not hell’s view.
In the moment I can SEE my sin, I can also SEE my salvation and the depth of pain I feel from my offenses can be almost immediately turned to joy and dancing because he has set me free.
Apprentice 2 Jesus 