Have you thanked Him?
Have you praised Him?
Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?
Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?
ARE YOU SEEKING?
1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)
1-3The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.
Sure no fun to fall huh?
I have been getting a lot of guilt-ridden notes, FACEBOOKS, and TEXTS lately.
Lots of deeply trouble people who are feeling that they have “really messed things up” or have experienced a string of bad days that would make the unluckiest shudder.
Lord knows I have been there too; maybe more recently than many would think.
I have had many days that I knew SIN got the best of me.
Days where I indulged in poor decisions and made stupid choices and found the ENEMY right there waiting to relentlessly scream in my ear about how bad I am and that I am doomed. I have had him spit lie after lie at me, telling me that I am “no Pastor”, that I am still that selfish, self-absorbed narcissistic jerk that I have always been. Believe me, I know how it feels to have condemnation seem so thick and heavy it is almost suffocating.
And this week, I can feel it in the SPIRIT of so many; folks who are feeling oppressed, lonely, isolated, hurt, staggered and most of all GUILTY. How do I know, because THERE ARE A LOT of you who are sharing those feelings with me.
And while we know that guilt is the “go to” emotional virus of the enemy, the good news is that Jesus not only has the remedy for this guilt, HE IS the REMEDY for this guilt.
Now before we get too far down this road, please be advised, this DISPATCH is not to MAKE you FEEL guilty, but to give you perspective about the guilty feelings you may be experiencing.
I want you to understand the difference between “FEELING GUILTY” which we will from time to time and “BEING GUILTY”.
There is a big difference!
The BIBLE does make it clear that the HOLY SPIRT is built to convict us when we do sin. We should “FEEL GUILTY” about those sins. THAT conviction is FROM GOD and it is designed to DRIVE US away from our reckless behaviors and choices and move us closer TO THE FATHER.
Even some of the Bible’s “heavies” faced and were confronted and conflicted by this kind of guilt.
Peter, after he denied Jesus…
Matthew 26:75
New International Version (NIV)
75 Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.
And Paul when he was shown the error of his ways on the road to do some Christian killing.
Acts 9:4
New International Version (NIV)
4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
They were confronted and “FELT THEIR GUILT” just like we do.
But like these two heavyweights, GOD used those convicted feelings to drive them back to Himself.
You see, via God’s plan, the sacrifice of HIS SIN-FREE, GUILT-FREE Son, GOD paved the way for “guilt-free” living for all who would accept Jesus.
By sending His only Son to be our substitute—to bear our sin and guilt and to die in our place, Jesus not only paid our sin-debt in full, but His righteousness becomes ours the moment we place trust in Him!
Let’s boil it down.
We were guilty.
Thanks to cross, we are NO LONGER GUILTY.
We may still have moments and days where we FEEL GUILTY, but the days of “BEING GUILTY” are over!
Just look!
1 Corinthians 15:57 (MSG)
…It was sin that made death so frightening and law-code guilt that gave sin its leverage, its destructive power. But now in a single victorious stroke of Life, all three—sin, guilt, death—are gone, the gift of our Master, Jesus Christ. Thank God!
Still not convinced?
Let’s look at what one of those heavyweights was inspired to pen about this guilt issue.
Romans 8:1
1 So now anyone who is in Christ Jesus is not judged guilty.
So let’s sum it up.
When we “feel guilty”, thank GOD for it, it means HIS SPIRIT is working in and through you. Then pause and remember the CROSS and the grace! And then THANK CHRIST that guilt no longer has a grip on you!
John 3:18
New Life Version (NLV)
18Whoever puts his trust in His Son is not guilty.
I pray this helps. It helped me.
I love you all
Freedom Church
Pastor GDelaney
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