It is so easy to feel condemned and guilty when we sin, but such a relief to know that those feelings are not from God! He never condemns us or berates us for our sins. Condemnation and guilt feelings leave us feeling ashamed, but God says all who call on His name (believers) will never be ashamed! So those shame feelings aren't from God at all!
He never even convicts us of our sins! (That goes against what I always thought - but when I really look closely at scripture, I don't see any place where conviction of sin is used for believers. Wow!) In the past I thought His main focus was in pointing out our sins, but that isn't so! He is not pointing out our sins, He is busy pointing out our righteousness which we have as a gift in Christ!
One of my favorite Bible passages is Isaiah 54. I remember sitting in church one day reading that chapter and suddenly seeing with new eyes verses 9 - 10:
“ For this is like the waters of Noah to Me;
For as I have sworn
That the waters of Noah would no longer cover the earth,
So have I sworn
That I would not be angry with you, nor rebuke you.
For the mountains shall depart
And the hills be removed,
But My kindness shall not depart from you,
Nor shall My covenant of peace be removed,”
Says the LORD, who has mercy on you.
God swears He will never be angry with us or rebuke us - that is so amazing! That means that any sinking feeling that God must be angry or disapproving of us after we sin is A LIE and not from Him! In fact He says His kindness and the peace between us will never be removed from us, never! Even when we sin! Even when we sin, He is looking on us with kindness and is at peace with us - wow!
Isn't it wonderful that God isn't focusing on our sins? Jesus already took them to the cross and brought us forgiveness. He is finished dealing with sin, for He said on the cross 'It is finished!' God is focusing on the fact that we are the righteousness of God in Christ. That is the truth that He is speaking into our hearts. He knows what He did in us through Jesus, and He did something wonderful - He got rid of our sins and our old sinful selves and re-created us in Christ as holy and righteous children of God having the very righteousness and life of Christ within! We have a new heart and nature that is pure and innocent and beautiful to God! Wow - we are beautiful to Him!
I want to be strengthened every day in the truth that God never condemns, accuses, guilts, convicts, disapproves, shames, or gets angry with me! He is always saying that I am His righteous and holy child, made perfect by the once for all sacrifice of Jesus! That's true for everyone who believes in the Son!
Peace to everyone who stops by today! And Happy Thanksgiving!