Disqualified?

Have your mistakes disqualified you from God’s best?

Have you seriously messed up?

Are you hiding from God? 

Do you feel condemned?

Are you haunted by your past?

Are you tormented by something you did?

Many who mess up end up running from God, thinking they are past the point of no return. You may stop going to church and want nothing to do with Jesus, feeling you have blown any chance of reconciliation with God. 

I have good news for you, even if you feel disqualified: There is one who can qualify you. His name is Jesus.

Stop Running From God

Are you running from God like Jonah did?

He ran in the wrong direction, taking a ship to Nineveh. Jonah ended up nearly being shipwrecked. He ended up in the belly of a big fish that finally spat him out.

God was not prepared to let go of Jonah and will not let go of you.

Jonah tried to fight. He went through chaos until he surrendered his life back to God. 

Don’t run from God. Instead, run to God even if you feel disqualified.

It is time to turn back to Jesus. 

Hope For the Disqualified

“When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.” (Romans 5:6 NLT)

When you are at your weakest, in your most vulnerable time, feeling completely overwhelmed, hopeless, and disqualified, turn back to Jesus. 

Jesus died to save you. 

Now, someone might die to save a person they love, but Jesus came to save you and me. We were enemies of God due to sin. 

Sin cuts us off from a holy God. When we break God’s moral code and fail, our failures disqualify us, but there is hope. 

God, out of love, sent Jesus. Jesus was holy and pure. Yet He paid the full price with his life on the cross. 

“But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” (Romans 5:8 NLT)

The name Jesus means SAVIOR. He came to save you. 

Are You Hiding From God?

When Adam and Eve sinned by disobeying God’s instructions and when they took the devil’s bait, they immediately felt shame. 

“At that moment, their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.” (Genesis 3:7 NLT)

In their sin and shame, they tried to cover their nakedness. They also hid from God. 

“When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees.” (Genesis 3:8 NLT)

Are you hiding from God because of your guilt and shame? 

Adam and Eve sinned against God. They tried to cover their own shame and nakedness. 

Do you know what God did?

“And the Lord God made clothing from animal skins for Adam and his wife.” (Genesis 3:21 NLT)

This was the first animal sacrifice that took place to cover sin.

God used the skin of an animal to cover Adam and Eve’s shame and nakedness. For this to happen, the blood of an animal was shed to cover sin. 

The Book of Hebrews tells us about the Old Covenant, under which the blood of animals was used to atone for or cover sin. 

“For it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” (Hebrews 10:4 NLT)

So, do you know what God did?

He so dearly wanted to save people that their sins, which once disqualified them, would be obliterated. He sent Jesus. 

“That is why, when Christ came into the world.” (Hebrews 10:5 NLT)

Jesus came to usher in a New Covenant so that all the disqualified could come back into a relationship with God. 

Take a look at what Jesus did. 

“Then he said, “Look, I have come to do your will.” He cancels the first covenant in order to put the second into effect. For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time.” (Hebrews 10:9-10 NLT)

On the cross, once and for all time, Jesus died to pay the price for our sins so that we can be made right with God. Through the cross, Jesus wipes out our sins and brings complete forgiveness and cleansing. 

“Then he says, “I will never again remember their sins and lawless deeds.” And when sins have been forgiven, there is no need to offer any more sacrifices.” (Hebrews 10:17-18 NLT)

Today, because of the finished work of Jesus, you can be made right with God and come into a close walk with Him. 

“And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.” (Hebrews 10:19-23 NLT)

What a promise. No matter your past transgressions, you can be set free. All you need to do is surrender your life to Jesus. 

Run to The Father

Jesus told a parable about a young man who came from a wealthy family. He left home and got into all types of sin. He lived it up, let go of all godliness, and ended up broke, broken, bound, and humiliated, bringing shame not only to his life but also to his family.

Eventually, after hitting rock bottom, he came to his senses, realizing the error of his ways, and decided to go back home.

While he never thought he would be welcomed back as a son, he hoped his father would at least hire him as a servant in his home. 

Because of his sin and reckless living that had caused embarrassment to his family, he felt disqualified.

Yet, knowing his father was a kind, gracious man, he hoped that his father would at least take him back as a servant. 

So, he set off on the long road back home. 

“I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.” (Luke 15:18-19 NLT)

So, he set out on his journey back home. 

“And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’” (Luke 15:20-22 NLT)

Do you see the love of the father?

Each day, he would look out, hoping that his lost son would return. 

While the son thought his father would be disappointed with him, he only experienced his father’s undeserved love. 

This wayward son tried apologizing, saying, “Dad, I am so sorry,” but the father didn’t even hear these words. He was just so happy to have his lost son back. 

While the son felt disqualified, his father saw things differently. 

“But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.” (Luke 15:23-24)

The father was only so grateful to have his lost son back that he welcomed him home, not as a servant but as a son.

He even put a ring on his finger, symbolizing that he was a son. He clothed him, showing that he was back in right standing with his father. The father also threw a huge party to celebrate his son’s return. 

This is a picture of God and how he sees you.

Even though you may feel completely disqualified and like a disgrace, God’s grace is enough for you, and He welcomes you back as His child.

If you have messed up or been too bad, I have some good news: You can run to the Father.

His arms are open wide, ready to receive you just as you are. He wants to cleanse, forgive, deposit His peace into your heart, and welcome you home. 

Today, you can be qualified. Surrender to Jesus. 

If you feel disqualified and want to start or restart your walk with God, click here to pray a simple prayer we have set up for you.