His Heart, My Home

It probably won’t surprise you to learn that Christians often struggle with feelings of guilt, shame, regret, unworthiness, and condemnation.

I confess that I do. Maybe it’s time for you to acknowledge that you do too. After all, guilt isn’t a “me-centered” problem. It’s a “we-centered” problem, because “ALL have sinned and come short of the glory of God…” (Romans 3:23)

Our sins may have happened ten years ago or ten minutes ago, but any time we miss the mark, (and we all do from time to time) the enemy will try his best to bring guilt and condemnation on us.

He will diabolically use “guilt-zombies” (the painful feelings and memories of our past mistakes and failures) to plague our present and foul up our future.

If we don’t have the truth of Christ’s finished work of salvation established in our hearts, the enemy will taunt us and haunt us, driving us around and around on a never-ending “guilt-trip”.

Sadly, many well-meaning and sincere Christians beat themselves up over the past. They repeatedly relive, rehearse, revisit, regret, and repent of, the same sin that the Lord forgave and forgot a long time ago.

They exhaust themselves in a never-ending circular marathon of self-condemnation,  seeking to “earn” God’s forgiveness. No matter how many times they “repent”, the enemy always produces a longer and longer “to-do list”, of real or imagined offenses that need additional “repentance”.

Self-condemnation is spiritually toxic. It is a tactic and a tool the enemy uses as he attempts to invalidate our experience of God’s grace, degrade our self-image as God’s children, and steal the joy of our salvation.

The only way we can shatter the shackles of sin and shame and conquer condemnation is through God’s Word.

Holy Spirit will use the awesome power of the Word to root out and destroy the harmful thoughts, memories, and emotions associated with our past failures.

He will then fill our hearts and minds with the revelation of God’s wonderful mercy and His amazing grace.

“My Word will have the power to uproot and stamp out; it will destroy and upend. And then my Word will rebuild and plant anew.”
(Jeremiah 1:10, The Voice Translation)

Scripture, after scripture reveals God’s unconditional love for us and his attitude about our sin. Here’s a small sample:

“The Lord redeems the soul of His servants and none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned.” (Psalm 34:22, NKJV)

“God takes all our crimes, our seemingly inexhaustible sins, and removes them. As far as east is from the west, He removes them from us.”
(Psalm 103:12, The Voice Translation)

“I am the One and Only who completely erases your sins, never to be seen again. I will not remember them again.”
(Isaiah 43:25, The Passion Translation)

“So now the case is closed. There remains no accusing voice of condemnation against those who are joined in life-union with Jesus, the Anointed One.
(Romans 8:1, The Passion Translation)

The voice we hear condemning us, and reminding us of our faults, failures, guilt, and shame is just an echo from a past that died and was buried with Christ.

Our sins are completely erased! They are no longer present! They are no longer seen! They are no longer heard! They are no longer remembered!

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation, (no guilty verdict, no punishment) for those who are in Christ Jesus (who believe in Him as personal Lord and Savior). For the law of the Spirit of life (which is) in Christ Jesus (the law of our new being) has set you free from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:1-2, Amplified Bible)

Did you hear what Holy Spirit just said?

NO condemnation!
NO guilty verdict!
NO punishment!

Looks like our guilt-trip just got canceled!

“But if we freely admit our sins when His light uncovers them, He will be faithful to forgive us every time.” (1 John 1:9, Passion Translation)

Forgiveness and freedom from guilt are guaranteed by God’s Word! When we ask Abba-Father in faith and sincerity to forgive us, He says, “YES” every time! And He does! Faithfully! Every time! Period!

Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea, announced three times that Jesus was “not guilty.” (John 18:38; 19:4 and 19:6)

Then Jesus, the perfect, spotless, sinless Lamb of God, went to the cross, and became our sin, bearing our shame and guilt. And God has announced three times in the book of Romans, that we are “not guilty.”

²³ For we all have sinned and are in need of the glory of God. ²⁴ Yet through His powerful declaration of acquittal, God freely gives away His righteousness. His gift of love and favor now cascades over us, all because Jesus, the Anointed One, has liberated us from the guilt, punishment, and power of sin! (Romans 3:23-24, TPT)

…but this gracious gift leaves us free from our many failures  and brings us into the perfect righteousness of God—acquitted with the words “Not guilty!”
(Romans 5:16, TPT)

³¹ So, what does all this mean? If God has determined to stand with us, tell me, who then could ever stand against us? ³² For God has proved His love by giving us His greatest treasure, the gift of His Son. And since God freely offered Him up as the sacrifice for us all, He certainly won’t withhold from us anything else He has to give. ³³ Who then would dare to accuse those whom God has chosen in love to be His? God Himself is the judge who has issued His final verdict over them—“Not guilty!” ³⁴ Who then is left to condemn us? Certainly not Jesus, the Anointed One! For He gave his life for us, and even more than that, He has conquered death and is now risen, exalted, and enthroned by God at His right hand. So how could He possibly condemn us since He is continually praying for our triumph? (Romans 8:31-34,TPT)

Good News! You are not guilty! Unpack your bags… your guilt-trip has been canceled!