| Good Morning Everyone, Our theme for this month: “You have been set free” Our Bible verse for today: “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1 (CSB) Our thought for today: “You have been set free from guilt” We began our study this month by considering the strong connection between our constitutional freedoms as citizens of the USA, and our spiritual freedom as followers of Jesus Christ. I made the point that neither our freedoms as citizens nor our freedoms as Christians are absolute; they aren’t unrestricted, or unlimited. There are by necessity boundaries within which we are expected to live. The laws of the land and the laws of God provide that structure. I also made the point that the more people in a society there are who live by and obey God’s law, the less need there will be for civil laws and for government intrusion into the lives of its citizens. At this point in our study, we’re considering what it is that we as Christians have been set free from. Soon we will consider how we can help others to find that freedom too but for now, we’ll continue thinking about what we have been set free from. So far, we’ve learned that we have been set free from the punishment from our sins and from being slaves to sin. Today we will consider the issue of guilt. Far too many people go through life living with an overwhelming and debilitating sense of guilt and regret for past failures and for past sins. One psychologist estimated that if he could help people to let go of their unresolved guilt and regret, that alone would cure 80% of all mental illness. As we have already learned, if you have placed your faith in Christ for the forgiveness of your sins then God has forgiven you and He has chosen to remember your sins and failures no more. Now it’s time for you to forgive yourself. If God has forgiven you, then you need to forgive yourself. As author Max Lucado says, “Let mercy happen.” God in His mercy and grace has forgiven you, but if you continue to hold onto your guilt and shame, you are resisting and rejecting His mercy. This is what Paul was referring to in Romans 8:1. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ. Your past does not have to define you. You can accept God’s forgiveness, draw a line in the sand, and move forward in life from here. The past is past and you can’t change it. Let it go and move on, doing your best to live well and to live right from here on out. No second-guessing. No regrets. Leave the past in the past and move forward into the future. “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:17. “I will forgive their wrongdoing, and I will never again remember their sins.” Hebrews 8:12. God let it go and now you need to as well. You have been set free from guilt. God Bless, Pastor Jim |
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