Overcoming Guilt

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Author: Michael Tummillo

Article source: http://www.privatewallpapers.com/. Used with author's permission.

One of the most destructive weapons that the enemy uses against us is guilt. My guess is that MOST Christians are dragging around with them the ball and chain of guilt resulting from the sins of their past - maybe even the sins from last night or this afternoon. Think for a moment: If Jesus says "Those who the Son sets free are free indeed" and "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty," exactly where does this guilt fit into the lives of the Believer?

Answer: It doesn't.

I once heard a minister on a national radio show describing how, in his ministry to Muslims, one thing he heard them saying time and again was, despite their dedication to Islam, "we could never get rid of the guilt."

Fact is, no religion...not even one called Christianity...can alleviate the guilt of sin. It's only through RELATIONSHIP with God that this can take place.

There are several things that occur in the life of the individual who establishes such a relationship with Jesus and grows in grace and in knowledge of their Lord and Savior (2 Peter 3:18):

I. YOU'VE BEEN JUSTIFIED: that means you've been vindicatedproven to be just, lawful, righteous. In other words, to be justified means "It's just if I'd never sinned!" In God's eyes, you ARE the righteousness of God in Christ. In other words, when God sees you, He sees Jesus. So does the devil.

Do you? Or do you see a divorcee? A liar? A cheater? A pervert? A thief? An illegitimate child? A murderer? A druggie? A drunk? A loser? A failure?

No matter how bad you think you are, that's not what God sees. You've been redeemed - just as a worthless coupon can be redeemed for something of value. Jesus - our Redeemer - has redeemed us. Yes, you've been justified, but NOT because of anything achieved on your own. Check it out:

Eph 1:7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace. Rom 3:19-28 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophetsEven the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of GodBeing justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of GodTo declare, I say, at this time His righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.

2 Cor 5:21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

1 Peter 2:24 ...and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousnessfor by His wounds you were healed.

Rom 5:8-12 But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sinand so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

Rom 3:28-30 For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one. Rom 4:5 But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness.

Rom 5:1 ...therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ Gal 2:16 ...nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the Lawsince by the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified.

Phil 3:9 and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith.

QUESTION: What about James 2:24? A contradiction?
Does James 2:24 contradict these and other verses? For starters, let's use the many verses to define the one and not the opposite. Second, no, there's no contradiction. "You see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone."

All we need to do is look at the context. James chapter 2 has 26 verses:
Verses 1-7 instruct us not to show favoritism.
Verses 8-13 are comments on the Law.
Verses 14-26 are about the relationship between faith and works.
James begins this section by using the example of someone who says they have faith but have no good deeds.

James 2:14 - What use is it, my brethren, if a man says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him?" In other words, James is addressing the issue of a dead faith, that is nothing more than a verbal pronouncement. It is empty of life and action. He begins with the negative and demonstrates what an empty faith is (verses 15-17, words without actions).

Then he shows that this type of faith isn't much different from the faith of demons (verse 19).

Finally, he gives examples of living faith that is words followed by actions. He writes of Abraham and Rahab as examples of people who demonstrated their faith by their deeds.

In brief, James is examining two kinds of faith: one that leads to godly works and one that does not. One is true, and the other is false. One is dead, the other alivehence, "Faith without works is dead," (James 2:20).

Also, notice that James actually quotes the same verse that Paul uses to support the teaching of justification by faith in Romans 4:3. James 2:23 says, "and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, 'and Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.'" If James was trying to teach a contradictory doctrine of faith and works than the other New Testament writers, then he would not have used Abraham as an example, logically speaking. Correct?

It's obvious that justification is by faith and not works. True faith results in regeneration of the sinner which, in turn, results in good works. But it is NOT these works that earn our place with God nor keep itJesus accomplished that on the cross. All that we need, we have in Jesus. All we need to do to be saved, to be justified, is to truly believe in what God has done for us in Jesus on the cross. This true belief with justification before God and regeneration in the new believer, will result in the manifestation of good works.

II. YOU'RE FORGIVEN: For some people, that's a newsflash. You need never again ask God's forgivenessmerely thank Him for what was provided for you at the cross 2,000 years ago. You see, provision was already made for every thing you've ever done wrong - everything you'll ever do wrong. NOTHING is being held against you. To say that your sins were worse than the next guy, is to say, "Thank you, Jesus, but your blood was simply not enough."

Friends, there are NO V.I.P. sinners!

Matt 11:28 - Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden. I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me. For I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.
Ps 55:22 - Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain youHe shall never permit the righteous to be moved.
1 Jn 2:1 My little children, these things I write to you, that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous."
Acts 3:19 Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.
Isa 1:18 - Come now and let us reason together", says the Lord, "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow."

III. YOU'VE BEEN SHOWN MERCY: God's mercy is new EVERY morning. You have NO YESTERDAY'S. You've been given a clean slate with the rising of the sun every day.

Heb 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus ...
2 Cor 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creationold things have passed away, behold, all things have become new.

IV. YOU'VE BEEN GIVEN FAITH: When you think of faith, do you think of mustering up enough positive vibes that you can make something happen? Many people speak about faith in that way, as if faith was some "thing" that we can plug into in order to achieve or attain something. Truth is, it's not that at all. If we could ask, some people who have seemingly great faith have faith in a "thing' when they could have faith in a person, that being the Lord Himself. Faith comes from the Greek word "pistis" which is a forensic term meaning witnessed evidence. What we're saying is that, as a Christian, our faith should be in Christ. That faith should be based upon experiential knowledge. Sadly, far too many Christians merely have another form of religion - another set of rules and regs - on which to govern their lives.

That's Christ-less Christianity at best.

Rom 12:3 - For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.
Eph. 2:8 - For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- Jn 2:22 - This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.
Acts 3:16 - By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus' name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see.
Rom 3:22 - This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe Heb. 11:1 - Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
Gal 2:16 - Know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.
Gal 3:26 - You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus Eph 3:12 - In Him and through faith in Him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.
Gal 2:20 - I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
Gal 3:11 - Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, The righteous will live by faith.
Gal 5:6 - The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
1 Tim 6:10 - For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

QUESTION: So, where does faith come from?
Rom 10:17 - Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the Word of Christ.
Col 1:5 - the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the Word of Truth, the Gospel.
Heb 12:2 - Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

CLOSING
Satan has done a masterful job of causing us to wallow in our guilt, forcing us to settle for religion over relationship with God. The nature of man is to actually prefer religion. We settle for methods, procedures, rules, the prescribed ways, traditions, in our attempts to please God. We might declare, "Surely, the Creator of the Universe doesn't want to know me with my past and all my nasty habits. I have an idea...I'll satisfy Him by being good! I'll do lots of spiritual things. I'll attend Church and serve as an usher or something...!"

We are human BE-ings, not human DO-ings. Stop trying to spin all those plates while standing on one leg and breathing fire. You can't keep it up and, besides, God doesn't expect it of you. All the Church work, Church attendance and good deeds for the day does not bring you any closer to God than you are right now - no matter how "good" they make you feel. Consider the utter insanity of never knowing exactly how many good deeds would be enough anyway.

The battle is for our minds. Satan will constantly remind us of our past. When this happens, remind him of his future. While you're at it, remind yourself, too.

You're forgiven, sins forgotten, forever.

Have YOU found freedom in Christ?

Every blessing!
Michael
A servant of God
t.e.a.m. ministries A Ministry of Discipleship & Encouragement to the Body of Christ
P.O. Box 633
Stephenville, Texas 76401
www.planetaryministry.org
Your Town For Jesus!

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Pastor Michael is founder of t.e.a.m. ministries (team1min@aol.com). His eMail broadcasts are reaching tens of thousands each month. Log on at http://www.PlanetaryMinistry.org Michael's mission is to bring Discipleship and Encouragement to the Body of Christ. He is the author of numerous booklets on a subjects that will interest the thinking Christian. Since 1999, he has written and broadcast hundreds of inspirational articles and a dozen booklets, all designed to accelerate the process of spiritual development in God's people.