I am a firm believer that our source of power comes from the cross but that the foundation of our faith is really repentance. You may not have heard that before but give me a sec to explain myself. Some folks may say, "the foundation of the Christian faith is the Cross of Christ" or "our foundation should be built on the rock of the Gospel of Christ". If you are one of those people then my reply to you is, yes. We are actually all saying the same thing. So what you are saying is that our faith is founded on the concept that salvation only comes from acceptance of Jesus Christ (John 3:16, John 5:24, Romans 10:9-10 to name a few verses examples). For one to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, one must repent because it is very much possible for one to reject the gift of Salvation. The cross has been the Christian symbol for Christ breaking the bondages of sin for us so we can live free. That power to break free from sin though is only conditional on someone wanting to be free. God is a huge fan of free will and has chosen to make it that the same power that the cross symbolizes would have no affect on someone who chooses not to accept Jesus Christ. Now that we have that settled, let's get back to the point.
What happens when that same repentance becomes the anchor that keeps us from bearing the fruit of the Holy Spirit? Is it possible that we can allow guilt to sneak into our lives through the door of repentance? Do you do things because you feel you have to pay back a debt for all the wrong you have done in life? Do you often struggle with depression, anxiety and worthlessness? If you are reading this and this describes you, you are not alone.
Quite often people over shoot repentance and miss the mark because they feel that they have not lived out enough penance. The reality is no amount of penance is ever going to be enough to pay for our right to live free. Jesus had to come to earth and die on the cross because we would never be able to do enough to over come the bondage of sin. You have my permission to stop living in guilt.
Romans 8:1 says "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." The concept of guilt is a tactic from the enemy as a way of imposing control over our lives. Under the influence of guilt we do not feel we are able to experience all the things Christ died for so that we could experience. Galatians 5:22-23 tells us for those living in the Spirit we enjoy the fruits of the Spirit. We feel a love that never fails (1 Corinthians 13), a joy inexpressible (1 Peter 1), a peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4), a patience that is able to bear one another and keep unity(Ephesians 4), a kindness that is sweet to the soul and healthy for the body (Proverbs 16), the goodness of God that saves (Titus 3:4-5), a faith that can move mountains, a gentleness to can make anyone great (Psalm 18), and a self-control that can withstand the temptation of the enemy and keep any marriage together(1 Corinthians 7). Is there anyone of us who can say they have enough of the things on that list? So much of our ability to bearing those fruits is impeded by the bondage of guilt.
The great thing is that you can stop paying for something Christ chose to pay for. If you continually live under guilt it may be that you will just end up in a wicked cycle of all the sin that you were living in before you accepted Christ and no one wants that. Just because you experience joy does not mean that you don't have remorse for what you have done. I regret so many things I have done in my life because my actions hurt many many people but that same regret does not dictate the freedom which I live with now. You are allowed to live joyful lives and I would even go as far to say that you cannot live a fruitful life and share Christ effectively without living a life free from guilt.
Christ paid the price for your transgressions so stop trying to pay for it too. Accept the gift that Christ offers you and tell others about it. Let the anchor go! Love you guys, praying for everyone who reads this.
Commentaires