How we who believe are in Christ's sight: "Yet you are so lovely!"

Believer, consider Songs of Songs 1:5 (TPT) -

[ The Shulamite ] Jerusalem maidens, in this twilight darkness I know I am so unworthy—so in need.

[ The Shepherd-King ] Yet you are so lovely!

[ The Shulamite ] I feel as dark and dry as the desert tents of the wandering nomads.

[ The Shepherd-King ] Yet you are so lovely— like the fine linen tapestry hanging in the Holy Place.

This is a conversation between the Shulamite (a picture of you and I who believe Jesus) and the Shepherd-King (our Saviour Jesus Christ.) Sometimes we look at ourselves and see our many flaws and imperfections and just feel so bad. But believer - you who have Christ as your righteousness - in those times of weakness and always too, Christ wants you to see yourself as He sees you:

"Yet you are so lovely!"

This isn't something that we do just for the sake of it. By seeing ourselves as He sees us, we are being transformed. As we continue to see ourselves through the mirror of God's Word (Christ Himself: Grace-personified) and not through the Law (which Romans 3:20 says was given to show us how sinful we are,) we are being transformed by His Spirit: 2 Corinthians 3:18-

"But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord."

Only people who are imperfect of themselves need transformation. The one who can transform himself to be godly aka "be like God" by will-power and human striving (arm of flesh) at obeying the Law does not need the Spirit of the Lord to transform him. This act of transformation by human effort is an effort in futility too. See what God's word says of man in Romans 7:18-

"For I know that nothing good lives within the flesh of my fallen humanity. The longings to do what is right are within me, but will-power is not enough to accomplish it."

God's word says human effort (the arm of flesh) will fail, is powerless and cannot. But Pride in the arm of flesh (human effort at obedience) that will fail says:

"No, I can. God must be wrong. I still have some good in me. I can keep the law and resist temptation to commit sin by my own will-power."

For all man's efforts and striving at trying to be godly ("be like God" as Adam and Eve did,) the result is like "a menstrual rag" in God's sight according to Isaiah 64:6-

"We are all like one who is unclean, all our so-called righteous acts are like a menstrual rag in Your sight."

Because He loved us so and does not want any to perish, God gave His own Son to become sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21.) This is how He sees all who believe in Jesus Christ: Romans 5:9-

"And there is still much more to say of His unfailing love for us! For through the blood of Jesus we have heard the powerful declaration, “You are now righteous in My sight.” And because of the sacrifice of Jesus, you will never experience the wrath of God." 

With Christ as our righteousness, we are 100% righteous and "so lovely" in the sight of our Shepherd-King. In Him we have God's super-abounding Grace that transforms even the vilest offender to His likeness. By Him, we get to live in triumph over sin- Romans 5:16-17:

16 “And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins. 17 For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and His gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one Man, Jesus Christ.”

Right believing always produces right living.