"Look to Christ Alone"

This evening, I got to catch up on one of the Restore breakout sessions I didn't get to attend at the conference. Clemson Presbyterian lead pastor, David Sinclair, spoke on "Killing the Demons of the Past: Applying the Gospel to Past Mistakes in the Area of Sexual Purity and Dating”. I really loved how he didn't give a list or how-to pep talk but he truly discussed the Gospel throughout the session! It was a beautiful reminder applicable to so much of life not just the specific topic.
Here are a few highlights: (mostly from his notes- You can download the podcast and notes here Its breakout session 3)
In I Timothy, Paul is writing to the believers in Corinth; probably one of the most sinful cities of Paul's day. Sexual sin was rampant including temple prostitutes and homosexuality. Paul knew of these sins and many others common to the Corinthian people and church body. Grieving for his brothers and sisters to take off the old self and put on the new, he reminds them of the hope of the gospel: (I Tim 1:11) "and this is what some of you were". The sacrifice of Christ has enabled us not only to be forgiven but to take on a new identity in Christ: changed, forgiven, saint!
We have been washed (I John 1:9; Ps. 103:12; Heb. 8:12).
We have been and are continually sanctified (made Holy) (I Cor. 1:1, 2; II Cor. 1:1; Phil. 1:1;
Hebrews 10:10).
This concept is so hard to wrap my mind around.....when my God, my Savior, looks at me, He doesn't see what a horrible, undeserving sinner I am. He sees His son! And through His son, He sees me as Holy.... I'm not perfect and wont be until Heaven (Heb. 10:14) but my God sees me now as Holy and also in the process of being made Holy through the work of the Spirit.....wow....
We have been justified. "It is not only being forgiven, but it is positively being declared righteous in God’s sight. Christ’s righteousness is credited to you by faith (Romans 1:17; 4:23-25)."
These questions really got me....I have a tendency to give myself a hard time for "failures" or things I wish I could change...
“Are you looking to yourself for forgiveness or are you looking to Christ?” Are you seeking to perform some form of penance or are you trusting in Christ’s work? If you are looking to Christ listen to what God says about your past sins, “You were
washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” So stop looking to yourself and look to Christ alone. That, after all, is who the Father is looking at.

As I heard several times throughout the conference: its not about me....its all about Jesus....