The Weight of Guilt

READ | John 3:16-17


False guilt can be an intolerable weight for the believer to bear. The
nagging sense of shame may cause us to doubt the Lord's love and
goodness. We might even start to wonder if our salvation is real.
Thankfully, we can find relief.


First of all, it's helpful to identify the root cause of our guilt. For
example, it might involve legalism or criticism. Next, we must affirm
three truths:


One, remember we are special. Any reason we give to "prove" otherwise is
a lie from Satan. Each of us is a one-of-a-kind creation. Ephesians 2:10
says the Lord created us and blessed us with specific talents and
abilities meant to be used for His glory.


Two, remember we are loved. God sent His Son Jesus Christ to die for our
sins so we could live with Him eternally. We don't have to do anything
to earn His love. It's already ours for the receiving. We simply must
believe He died in our place, was buried, and rose again.


And the third truth is to remember we are forgiven. If we confess our
sins, He forgives. First John 1:9 promises us the process is that
simple.


The Enemy stimulates false guilt. Our final step must be to renounce his
lies. We must make a declaration to this effect: "In the name of Jesus
Christ, I reject these feelings of guilt. They have absolutely no
scriptural basis. They are false, and I refuse to acknowledge them." As
a result, the heavy weight of guilt will lift from our hearts.






The Grace of God

READ | Romans 5:1-2


Grace is far more than a mealtime prayer or a popular name for girls.
The word communicates the idea of blessing. As children of God, we're
the recipients of His abundant grace. Let's examine how we experience
this amazing benefit of His love.


We see God's favor in our salvation. Ephesians 2:8 tells us, "For by
grace you have been saved." The blessing is undeserved and unearned.
Nothing about your or me prompts God to save us. He acts purely out of
His goodness. He sacrificed Jesus so we could be reconciled to Him and
adopted into His family.


Grace is also the sphere in which we live the Christian life. Colossians
1:12-13 points out that salvation transferred us from the kingdom of
darkness to the kingdom of light. Here, we live out our new identity as
God's child and glorify Him.


The beauty of grace becomes clear when we consider our former condition,
hostile to the Lord and alienated from Him. Ephesians 2:1 says we were
spiritually dead and lived according to our selfish interests. Now,
through faith in Jesus, God has justified us and given us new life.
According to Romans 8:1, He's declared we have right standing before
Him. All of our sins were placed upon Jesus, and His righteousness has
been credited to our account permanently.


Picture yourself living in the favor of God. Accept this truth, and then
give the Lord thanks.