Topic: Say Goodbye to Guilt [Joyce Meyer Devotional 2 July 2020]
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All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has made to light upon Him the guilt and iniquity of us all.— Isaiah 53:6 (AMPC)
When Jesus went to the cross, He not only took our sin upon Himself, but He also took our guilt so we could be free from both, and so we could become right with Him (see 2 Corinthians 5:21). When we believe that our sins are forgiven but continue to feel guilty and condemned, we can know that it’s time to study this out more in God’s Word. How can we feel guilty about something that the Bible clearly says God has forgiven, forgotten, and removed as far as the east is from the west (see Hebrews 10:17–18; Psalm 103:12)?
Feeling guilty is our unsuccessful, human way of trying to pay for our sins, but we cannot pay for something that’s already been paid for. Jesus paid, and we are debt free! This does not mean that we don’t feel sorry or repentant when we sin—we may even feel a kind of grief in our hearts over our sins—but the heaviness of guilt and condemnation is one of Satan’s greatest tools to keep us from making progress and bearing good fruit for God. Condemnation is counterproductive because it presses us down and burdens us with feelings of overwhelming guilt. Conviction, though, is from the Holy Spirit, and it’s always intended to lift us out of sin and restore our intimacy with God. The only way we can be useful to God is if we know what He’s done for us, who we are in Him, and the power that is available to us as His children. Jesus paid for our sins and in Him there is no condemnation (see Romans 8:1). I want to encourage you to make a decision today to stop wasting precious time and energy feeling guilty, and to begin to receive God’s forgiveness and grace each day.
Prayer Starter: Father, thank You so much for Your great grace and mercy… Your complete forgiveness of my sin blows me away. Please help me walk in the forgiveness, grace, and freedom that You’ve provided for me through Jesus. In Jesus’ Name, amen.