Thursday, November 18, 2010

Identity Promises #2 .... What guilt?

My life is full of blame. Me blaming the kids, the kids blaming each other, the world casting blame on me, etc. We live in a "who done it?" world. Who is to blame? Who is guilty? We all are. Scripture quotes the prophets in Romans 3 verse 10-11 " as it is written: 'There is no one who is righteous, not even one; there is no one who has understanding, there is no one who seeks God.'" The passage goes to say "all have turned aside...No one shows kindness...not even one." In all it is a pretty damning passage. Makes me feel about this big. It does ring with truth. We as a people and myself in specific are not primarily concerned with others. I am mostly concerned with me first. How will this benefit me? Will I get recognition for this action? I guilt myself about this attitude that I don't automatically, angelically put others ahead of me. I feel guilt frequently over taking time for myself. Beyond basic selfishness is the sin. If you hold scripture to be inerrant and truthful ( I do.) Then you must face up to verse ten - " NO ONE is RIGHTEOUS, not even ONE." We all sin. I sin. Daily, in fact several times daily I find myself caught in sin. I picture it slimy, covering me, dragging me down in an ooze of evilness. Is there no HOPE? There is hope. We do not have to live in guilt, blame and ooze. Read on ahead to our identity promise for today - Romans 3:24.

Romans 3:21 -26
21 But now, irrespective of the law, the righteousness of God has been disclosed, and is attested by the law and the prophets, 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction,  23 since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; 24 they are now justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by His blood, effective through faith. He did this to show His righteousness, because in His divine forbearance He had passed over the sins previously committed; 26 it was to prove at the present time that He himself is righteous and that He justifies the one who has faith in Jesus.
The key being verse 24 " they are justified by His grace as a gift through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus " What does justified mean? In this usage it means made blameless. I am made blameless. Why? By His grace through Christ. Because He loves me. This is big. God justifies, holds blameless, me, who is guilty, because of Christ. What does this promise say about my identity?  It says I do not have to be identified for my failure. I do not have to be known as one who failed to live without sin. I am blameless before a Holy God.

Identity Promise: I am declared not guilty by His grace through the redemption I have in Jesus Christ

Jesus redeems me and cleanses the sin ooze away as if it was never there and I am declared not guilty. Friends, This is the freedom that comes by choosing accept the Gift of Christ's redemptive work on the cross. Do not let Satan steal this truth from you! It is a promise. It is  fact. The evil one will try to tell you that you are unworthy ( you are - but God loves you regardless. ) Satan will try to convince you that the ooze has stained you so badly that you  will never be clean. God can cleanse you completely.

Lord Jesus, Savior, cleanse me and justify me that I would not live in a cloud of guilt. Bring this promise to fruition in my life.

1 comment:

tumbleweedgirl said...

somehow you keep echoing my readings. you're right about guilt and grace. thank you for continuing to use your gift of teaching.