Imagine a man walking his dog beside a lake. The dog bounds out of the bushes, a horrible dead animal hanging from his jaws. Proudly presenting his prey to his master, the dog waits for the man to commend him. Instead, the man takes the rotting creature and throws it into the pond, where it begins to sink. Immediately, the dog springs into action. Thinking that his master wants to play, the dog plunges into the water and retrieves the carcass, dutifully laying it once again at the man's feet.
No matter how many times the man throws the revolting carcass into the lake, his dog brings it back, completely unaware of his master's true feelings. What is the man to do?
In Micah 7:18-20, the LORD says that he has cast our sins into the bottom of the sea, and will remember them no more, forever. Too often, believers think they are doing God a favor by diving down and dredging up their old sin nature. They proudly announce their history of unworthiness, failure, sickness and brokenness before God. Not surprisingly, the LORD takes our sin and throws it back into the bottom of the sea, again. Unfortunately, we barely get out the door of the church before we jump back into the cesspool of our past and drag up the same old issues. Then we stand before God, looking up at Him with pride as we present the vile, rotting nature that He utterly destroyed through His death.
We don' have to spend our time reminding God of who we were. We have something new to do. As Jesus was sent into this world, so are we. Bringing beauty for ashes, healing the sick, setting the captives free, restoring the old waste places of many generations and sweeping away the refuge of lies, that ensnare the people of God, are great ways to spend our time.
The old things have passed away, ALL things have become new. We have become the righteousness of God, the inheritance and glory of the LORD and the beloved of His heart! We have the glory that Jesus had on this earth, a glory far greater than that of Moses, who had to hide his face after talking with God. Indeed, Yahweh loves us as much as He loves Jesus. Relax and enjoy God. He really doesn't want to play fetch with you anymore — forever.