Marissa Henley

Encouraging weary women to hope in Christ alone

Jesus Christ gives you His perfect record {No Matter What Monday}

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My daughter has been obsessed with cleaning lately. (It’s pretty much the best thing ever.) If you come to my house after one of her cleaning sprees, you’ll see spotless kitchen counters. And if you haven’t read this devotional, you’ll assume that I’m great at keeping my counters clean. But the truth is, my kitchen is usually a mess. 

But my lackluster housekeeping skills aren’t my biggest problem. I am a sinner, and I cannot stand on my own before a holy God. The good news of the gospel is that I’ve been given a righteousness I didn’t earn. Just as I benefit from my daughter’s work on my behalf when my kitchen counters sparkle, I benefit from my Redeemer’s work on my behalf and receive a spotless record in God’s sight. 

This month we are looking at benefits we receive from Christ’s death and resurrection. Last week, we saw that our debt has been paid. But the good news gets even better! Christ died and rose again not only to remove our sinful record but to give us a perfect record of obedience. By His death and resurrection, we are justified—declared righteous by a gift of God’s free grace. 

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:23–24)

These verses tell us that we are justified by God’s grace as a gift. Our justification is undeserved and unattainable on our own. We can’t earn it—we can only receive it by faith. Jesus Christ earned our justification when He lived a perfect life in our place and then took the punishment our sin deserved. 

When Jesus took your punishment, He gave you His perfect, sinless record. If you are in Christ, when God looks at your life He sees what Christ has done. You can walk in the joy and freedom of God’s grace. 

No matter what you face this week, Jesus Christ gives you His perfect record. 

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Jesus Christ paid your debt {No Matter What Monday}

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It’s happened to me twice now, and each time was surprising and impactful. I’ve pulled up to the Starbucks window and found out that my (grande, non-fat, one-pump-caramel) latte was paid for by the driver in front of me. It feels strange to receive my drink without giving anything to the cashier. I accept the gift of a free latte because someone I don’t know paid the debt I owed. 

It’s a beautiful picture of the gospel. Romans 8:1 tells us, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” 

Condemnation is not a word we like to discuss. But God’s Word is clear that we are all sinners, and our sin deserves God’s punishment.  

So how can Romans 8:1 say there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus? Has God decided to look the other way? Did He change His mind about sin? Is He just being nice? 

There is now no condemnation because Someone else paid for our sin. 

On the cross, Jesus took the punishment our sin deserved. God is fully satisfied with Jesus’s sacrifice and will not demand payment from those who are in Christ. Our debt has been paid. We freely receive the gift of God’s grace. 

As we drink deeply of His grace, we are set free from trying to convince God and others that we’re good enough. We don’t have to keep looking around, hoping to be a little better than the next guy. We don’t have to keep striving, hoping the good works will outnumber the bad. 

This month we will be looking at benefits we receive from Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection. One of the many benefits we receive is this payment of a debt we could never pay on our own. I can’t wait to explore others with you in the coming weeks! 

No matter what you face this week, Jesus Christ paid your debt.

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What Not to Say {Guest post for Servants of Grace}

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I spent most of my young adult years quoting Romans 8:28 to friends and family who were suffering. This promise from God’s Word has always been one of my favorite verses: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (ESV). For years, the truth of God’s sovereignty over all circumstances has been a rock I can cling to, no matter what life brings. I’ve often wielded this truth like a sword when I felt that someone might be slipping in their trust as they walked through suffering.

Then I was diagnosed with a rare, aggressive cancer called angiosarcoma the day before my 34thbirthday. I had three young children—ages 6, 4, and 18 months—and the prognosis wasn’t encouraging. As I walked through the months of intense treatment and years of uncertainty which followed, I treasured the truth of God’s sovereignty even more than before. But hearing others tell me “God has a plan” didn’t bring comfort in my pain.

I’m not alone in feeling this way. In fact, when I talk to cancer patients and survivors about the unhelpful words they’ve heard from friends, sentiments like “God has a plan” and “God uses everything for good” top the list. Every single cancer survivor I know has heard these words from friends. We’re saying it often, but it’s failing to provide comfort to our friends with cancer.

I’d love for you to read more in an article I wrote for Servants of Grace. Click here to read the article – I hope it encourages you!

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We Call God Our “Abba! Father!” {No Matter What Monday}

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When my son was a toddler, we went through an awkward phase when he used the word “dada” to refer to all men. I’d watch him look around the store and spot a random stranger, and I’d brace myself for what would come next. “Dada!” would fly enthusiastically from his mouth as Mr. Random Stranger looked around in confusion.

My son didn’t yet understand that the word we use to refer to his daddy was a precious name for an even-more-precious relationship. Now that he’s a teenager, he knows that the love of his father is unique. He calls him “Dad” because of the relationship they share. And we see in Galatians 4 that God has given us, His adopted children, the unique privilege of calling Him our Father:

“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’” (Galatians 4:4-6)

In these verses, we see the work of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit bringing us into this special relationship and giving us the privilege of calling God our Father. We are adopted children because God sent forth His Son to redeem us. Just a few verses earlier, Paul tells the Galatians that “in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith” (3:26). Our adoption as sons is a free gift of God’s grace given to us on the basis of faith in Christ.

God also sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts. Romans 8:15 tells us that we cry “Abba, Father!” because of the Spirit of adoption given to us. Because God the Father has sent both His Son and His Spirit, we can cry out to God with confidence and know that He hears the pleas of His children.

No matter what you face this week, we have the privilege of calling God our “Abba! Father!”

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