Guilt-Free

  

Let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.

—Hebrews 10:22-23 (NKJV)

 

 

There are Christians who deal with debilitating guilt and shame. They have asked Christ into their hearts, but they feel that there is something they must do to make God love them. They are not experiencing the righteousness Christ has given them. Are you one of these? Having your heart free of a guilty conscience comes when you believe without any doubt that Jesus paid the price for your sins. You have nothing to pay because He has already paid for it. You have nothing to do because He already did it.

 

Your loving Father does not want you to endure shame (Romans 10:10). The Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin because they do not believe in Him. When a believer sins, he is convicted by the righteousness of God rising within Him to live a holy life (John 16:8-9, NKJV). And conviction by God’s righteousness does not create debilitating shame. Jesus did not come to condemn you (John 3:17). The Holy Spirit does not condemn you. The enemy condemns you by reminding you just how sinful you are. Reminding yourself of your sin condemns you. And condemnation creates the need for you to do something to feel clean and righteous. 

 

“For when I tried to keep the law,” Paul wrote, “it condemned me. So I died to the law—I stopped trying to meet all its requirements—so that I might live for God.

(Galatians 2:19, NLT). 

 

Conviction by righteousness convinces you that Christ has made you righteous. You quit striving to make yourself right with God and accept that Jesus has made you right. He met all of God’s requirements so you might live for God without guilt.

 

God wants you to know that you are free to come right into His presence. Nothing separates you from His love. Jesus has taken care of your guilty conscience with the cleansing of His blood. You are clean with the pure water of His Grace. 

 

Draw near to God with a sincere heart trusting Him. He will not hurt you—expose you—or demand something from you as payment for His acceptance and love. He loves you when you don’t feel worthy. He has made you worthy. God loves you with an everlasting love that never ends. He draws you with loving-kindness (Jeremiah 31:3).

 

Choose to believe that you are righteous in Jesus. Renew your mind continually with the Word (Romans 12:2).  God sees you through the precious blood of His Son. As Jesus is, so are you in this world (1 John 4:17). Have hope. And hold tightly to that hope without wavering—without a doubt. You can trust God to keep His promise. 

 

What is His promise to you? The Scripture says, “WHOEVER BELIEVES ON HIM (JESUS) WILL NOT BE PUT TO SHAME” (Romans 10:10, NKJV). This is your promise.

 

You have a guilt-free conscience, washed clean by the blood of Jesus who paid for your sins. You have no reason to be filled with devastating shame and guilt. You have no reason to attempt to wash yourself clean by meeting God’s expectations. Only Jesus could keep those expectations, and He met those expectations for you. Don’t listen to the enemy who says you must earn God’s love and acceptance. You believe in Jesus, and God will never put you to shame.

 

 

©2022 Lynn Lacher

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