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God did not send his Son into the world to judge the world guilty, but to save the world through him. John 3:17 (NCV)
A friend of mine is a car salesman. I trust him completely. When I need a good used car I’ll go to him and ask him to find a car that is a particular style, within a particular price range, and is from his opinion, a good reliable car. Because of my trust in him I’m pretty confident that when I drive off the lot with my ‘new’ car I can trust it. I don’t know its complete history, but I know my friend.
When we seek to purchase a car, some electronic item or a new home we want to know as much about it as possible before we spend the money. We don’t want any surprises.
That’s what makes Jesus’ coming to earth for us even more amazing. Imagine if I were to go to my friend and ask him to find me a car. A few days later he calls and says he found one for me and asks me to come down to the shop to see it.
When I arrive I see a car that’s 20 years old, has three different colored fenders, and the fourth fender is rusted through. One tire is flat, the other three are bald. There is a crack in the windshield and, he informs me, the Air Conditioning doesn’t work and the windows won’t open. Would I buy the car? You say, “Of course not! A person would be stupid to buy something like that and,” you’d continue, “your friend isn’t much of a friend. I’d never trust him again!”
You’d be right of course. No one would buy something like that for any price. But that is exactly what Jesus did! When Jesus was born in that manger over 2,000 years ago he and his Father knew exactly what he was getting into. He knew he was going into a world full of anger, rebellion, abuse and greed. He knew he’d be scoffed at, rejected by he closest friends and innocently murdered. But knowing all this, he came anyway.
If that wasn’t enough, he didn’t come to scold us. He didn’t come to tell us how bad we were. He didn’t come to criticize us for our weaknesses, or condemn us for our rebellion or send us on some guilt trip. He came to save us. He came to forgive us. He came to free us from guilt, shame, anger and bitterness! Jesus didn’t come to earth because of what we were like, he came to earth because of what we needed.
There will be plenty of people who will point out your faults, tell you what you are doing wrong and judge you for your past or present addictions. Jesus didn’t come to make you feel guilty. He came to show you his love.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I thank you for coming to earth to give me freedom. I struggle so much with feelings of guilt, anger and fear. It’s so easy to go my own way and seek my own desires. I praise you for accepting me, for purchasing me even though you knew all my flaws. Amen.
O Lord, what great works you do! And how deep are your thoughts. Psalm 92:5 (NLT)
We think in the present. God’s thoughts are on the future.
We think of today, God thinks about eternity.
We measure life by where we are, God measures life by where we are going.
Our actions are often based on our past experiences, God’s actions are based on his power.
Our wisdom is limited by our humanity, God’s wisdom planned every day of every person for all eternity.
We seek fulfillment on what we can do for others (even God) he seeks to fulfill us through what he’s already done for us.
We strive to be better today than we were yesterday, God says “I’ve already made you everything I desire.”
We see illness as something to conquer, God sees illness as an opportunity to show his healing.
We see healing as absence of illness, God sees illness as absence of worry.
We observe our sin and feel guilt, God observes our sin and offers forgiveness.
We remember the wrongs suffered, God lays our faults at the cross and never looks back.
We live to please others, God exists to serve us.
We see unfaithfulness as a relationship breaker, God sees unfaithfulness and begs our return.
We rebel at his standards, God watched his Son die to meet those standards for you.
“O Lord, what great works you do!”
During those times when God seems distant, remember that his thoughts are on our growing, not our comfort. His goal is not our earthly comfort but our eternal reward. His desire is for a stronger relationship with him, not our own popularity. Our finite minds are not able to comprehend all that God has planned. He knows what is best for us.
PRAYER: O Great and Mighty Creator of the Universe! To think that will all of your power and wisdom you would even consider me. To think that someone as mighty as you allows me to call you Daddy. I don’t always understand your ways, but I praise you for the love you have given me. In your name, Amen.
The payment for sin is death. But God gives us the free gift of life forever in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23 (NCV)
Think about this. No matter where you are on the journey of life, there are certain things that are true for all of us. We were all created by God to be his pride and joy. God’s desire, from the beginning of time is to have a passionate relationship with each of us. A relationship like he had with Adam and Even at the beginning. To walk side by side, arm in arm, hand in hand. To laugh. To talk about the days events. To impart his wisdom, strength and joy to each of us.
Another thing that is true of all of us is that we all want to have our own way. We all seek to fill this void inside of us with things that are contrary to God’s desire for us. David did it when he decided to sleep with another man’s wife. Abraham did it when he took matters into his own hands. Moses did it when he murdered the Egyptian and struck the rock. And the list goes on and on. Your name is on that list.
We’ve all done it, we take matters into our own hands. Tried to fill the void on our own power. Call it sin. Call it poor choices or bad decisions. Call it whatever you want. The result is the same. When you live apart from God there’s an emptiness that can’t be satisfied.
Sin is sin. You can rationalize and say your ‘sin’ isn’t as bad. Really? Worry is just as ‘bad’ a sin as adultery because it breaks your trust in God’s ability to provide. Buying what you can’t afford is stealing from your future because debt ties us down. Legalistic attitudes steal the freedom God intended to give to others.
You can run from him, but that won’t remove the pain. You can ignore him but that doesn’t take away the anger. You can claim he doesn’t exist, but the void won’t go away. You can bury yourself in all sorts of religious activity or social advocacy to hide your pain. That usually only leads to guilt and self-destruction. There is nothing that beats the pain. There is nothing that pays the price…nothing except for Jesus.
Jesus paid the price for your worry. Jesus paid the price for your anger and frustration. Jesus paid the price for the guilt you harbor because of your past. He paid it in full so you can live free. He asks nothing from you except for you to confess (admit) your need for him, and ask forgiveness for your weakness. Nothing else will fill the void in your soul.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I confess to you that there are still many things in my life that I’m trying to control on my own. Thank you for the free gift of forgiveness you have given. Nothing is really free. Thank you for paying the price for my sin when you knew I would fail. Amen.
Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (CEV)
Like an old pair of shoes tossed in the garbage. Like a discarded, favorite pair of jeans. Like that car that finally gave up the ghost after years of trial and tribulation. That’s what life is like after Christ comes.
Once we were under the Law. The Law was God’s standard of living after sin entered into mankind. The Law was never meant to remove sin as much as it was an appeasement for sin.
Then grace entered the picture. Grace didn’t just appease God, Grace cleansed us. Before we became followers of Jesus we lived life according to our own conscience. A conscience based on the idea that we were the center of the universe. Right and wrong depended on what was best for us. It didn’t work. I was never intended to work.
When we came to a place in our lives where we realized our faults, we felt guilty. Guilt isn’t always a bad thing. Guilt, in a positive sense is simply agreeing with god that we made a mistake. Guilt can draw us back to him when the path we’ve taken separates us from the peace he intended for us to have. Guilt, in the positive sense, is terminated with repentance. Gone. Wiped out like an old pair of…well, you get the picture?
- The Law makes us aware of our guilt; but Grace cleanses us, even from the memories of our faults!
- The Law says we’ll never succeed; but Grace says we’ll never fail because of Jesus living in us!
- The Law says we are guilty; Grace says we are redeemed!
- The Law says you’ll never be free; Grace says you’ll never be held captive!
- The Law uses guilt as a tool to remind us of our past; Grace uses conviction (through the Holy Spirit) to remind us of our holiness through Christ!
- The Law focuses on external actions (rules); Grace focuses on the heart and emotions!
- The Law says you are doomed; Grace says enter into the presence of a loving Father!
As followers of Jesus Christ we no longer need to live under the oppression of guilt even though we continue to be attacked by sin. 1 John 1:9 reminds us that ‘when’ not ‘if’ we sin we can come to the Savior and receive forgiveness. The guilt we feel before that is our Father’s beckoning us to come home to his loving arms. Not for punishment. Jesus took that. He calls us home to be restored.
PRAYER: Dear Jesus, I continue to battle with feelings of guilt for past mistakes in my life. Mistakes that have hurt others. Mistakes that have hurt myself. Mistakes that have hurt you. Forgive me once and for all for those times when I’ve failed. Empower me with your Holy Spirit to live free of the false guilt Satan throws my way. Amen.
And since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:21-23
A story of two men. Both had walked with Jesus. Both had seen the blind given their sight, the crippled healed and the demon possessed freed from bondage. Both were given power from on high to perform miracles. Yet they went two completely different directions.
We don’t know much about the background of Judas Iscariot. Tradition says he was the son of wealthy parents and a good businessman. Judas hooked up with Jesus after following the ministry John the Baptist. While we don’t hear much about Judas, he seemed to be well-trusted by the other disciples since he was in charge of the money and, no one suspected he would be the one to betray Jesus.
Peter, on the other hand was a fisherman. He was used to hard, honest work. He was a leader among the disciples and one of Jesus’ inner circle. You could count on Peter to be in virtually every discussion. Most times, when Peter spoke, the rest of the disciples got behind him in agreement.
Both men are known in for their actions at the time of Jesus’ murder. Judas will always be known for his betrayal of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. His actions led to Jesus’ arrest and subsequent hanging on a tree. Ironically, Judas also died hanging from a tree, but his death was ruled suicide.
Peter, on the other hand is remembered for denying Christ in the courtyard of the High Priest just hours after he pledged his undying support of Jesus. As usual, the rest of the disciples (including Judas no doubt) agreed with him. Jesus looked Peter straight in the eyes and told him that Peter would deny him not once, but three times before the rooster crowed that very morning.
The severity of the ‘sin’ really isn’t an issue in this story. In reality, both men betrayed Jesus. Judas’ betrayal was with a kiss. For his actions he was rewarded with money and no doubt some status and power among the religious aristocracy.
Peter betrayed Jesus with words and attitude for self-preservation. The priests were uninterested in Jesus’ disciples at this time. Peter and the others were really in little, if any danger. There was no monetary gain in Peter’s betrayal (denial). His was an action devoted to simply saving his own skin.
There’s another similarity between the two men in this story. Both felt extreme guilt for what they had done. Judas turned to religion for support and healing. He was told that his actions were his problem. That’s the way religion and legalism works. Fault, blame and guilt are always returned to you. If you fail, you must just try harder. If you fail to severely, or too often, you are beyond hope. When Judas left the Temple for the last time that day he was a broken man. Wounded and hopeless, he could no longer bear the weight of guilt. He took his own life.
Peter was also wounded. The Bible tells us he went out and wept. The fact that we are told he wept doesn’t imply Judas didn’t. I think both men wept bitterly. The difference was in what they did once the tears and the knot in their stomachs loosened. While Judas was tying the noose, Peter went to the cross.
True healing comes through confession, brokenness and turning away from self and towards Jesus. The Bible is clear. “But if we confess our sins, he will forgive our sins, because we can trust God to do what is right. He will cleanse us from all the wrongs we have done.” 1 John 1:9 (NCV)
It’s a simple process that leads to freedom from guilt. Confession leads to forgiveness and forgiveness means we are clean. Once and for all, so pure it is as though we never sinned.
The enemy tells us otherwise though. He loves to keep us subdued, entrapped in the power of guilt. Guilt affects every part of our body. Guilt causes anxiety and fear. Guilt causes us to spend our future regretting our past. Guilt has such power over us that it not only causes emotional distress, but physical distress as well. Psychologists tell us that 10% of the population is currently taking medication for anxiety. A large part of that anxiety is worry over our past.
The Psalmist describes how many of us struggling with guilt feel when he says, “My body is sick from your punishment. Even my bones are not healthy because of my sin. My guilt has overwhelmed me; like a load it weighs me down. My sores stink and become infected because I was foolish.” Psalm 38:3-5 (NCV)
It’s time to reclaim what Jesus did on the cross. It’s time for you to once and for all, forget about all the arguments and all the lies religion has told you about this man Jesus. He is the only way you will get the relief you need.
After Judas was dead, Peter met Jesus on a secluded beach. The campfire was burning in the background. The aroma of the smoke carried the scent of freshly grilled fish. Jesus looked into his eyes and asked the question. “Do you love me Peter?” There was no mention of forgiveness for that was understood. Jesus had done his part. Now it was Peter’s turn. Now it’s your turn too.
Do you love Jesus? Are you ready to release the pain of the wound you bear so he can comfort you with the salve of his love and grace? Nothing you have done will keep him from asking you the same question. Stop listening to the lies of religion and the enemy. You are worth keeping. You are worth Jesus dyeing for you. Let him take away your guilt.
PRAYER: Jesus, like the Psalmist the guilt of my past is always before me. The wound I bear is a scab full of puss and infection. I hurt inwardly like no one understands. I confess my sin to you. I confess that I’ve been carrying baggage you took from me long ago. Cleanse my conscience and make me new again. Amen.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 