Gracious Guilt
John MacArthur – Why do we still feel guilty
if God has forgiven our sins?
By Dial In Ministries (5 min 57 sec)
“I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members.
“Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.
“There is NOW no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you FREE from the law of sin and death. For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” Romans 7:23-8:4
My little brother once had to remind me of verse 8:1 (There is NOW no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.’). I suspect we all wander into feeling guilty about our past sins. But when we become a follower of Jesus Christ, God promises to pay for ALL our sins – past, present and future.
What does He do with our sins? (The video above is a good overview.) God has amazing ways to ‘dispose’ of ALL of it:
· Psalm 103:12 – Why east from west? There is no end or beginning of this (unlike north to south where there are distinct poles to mark beginning from end).
· Isaiah 38:17 – because babies believe if they can’t see it, it no longer exists. (Parents are always surprised when a child cries as if the world is ending when they leave a room or hide a toy behind their back, because babies ‘believe’ if something is out of sight, they are gone forever)
· Micah 7:19 – the sea is unimaginably deep (the deepest known part of the ocean reaches approximately 10,984 meters (36,037 feet) below sea level and is the deepest known point on Earth, yet no one knows the true depth of the oceans but God).
· Micah 7:19 - He treads our sins under His foot where no one can see.
· Hebrews 8:12 – It is God’s choice and will not to.
And yet, it is easy for all of us to be tempted to remember our sins and dredge up guilt as a response. However, grace tells us that there is nothing we can do or say that will cause God to love us less and it also tells us there is nothing we can do or say that will cause God to love us more. His love of us is perfect and secure!
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Take care with love, especially His, from Darlene, who still prays for you each day.
PS: You can also find the devotions on line/ on your mobile phone here: www.weakdaydevotion.com .
NOTES: I choose to believe the Bible because it's a reliable collection of historical documents written down by eyewitnesses during the lifetime of other eyewitnesses. They reported supernatural events that took place before, of specific prophecies; and claim that their writings are divine rather than human in origin.
The Five Solas: Individuals are saved by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone, as revealed by Scripture alone to the glory of God alone!
Find my full statement of faith: https://especiallyhislove.blogspot.com (where you will also find a series of Bible studies). For the books, go to Amazon books. For prayer requests/ updates, email: darlenerichard@gmail.com