The old system under the law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves. The sacrifices under that system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship. 2 If they could have provided perfect cleansing, the sacrifices would have stopped, for the worshipers would have been purified once for all time, and their feelings of guilt would have disappeared.
Hebrews 10:1-2
Lots of diets promise rapid weight loss "guilt free" - declaring that you can eat what you like when you like and still be thin!
They promise much, but it's a fake. There's no such thing in the natural world as guilt free weight loss!
In the spiritual world, matters are much the same. Religious piety, in our own strength, leads to failure and then guilt kicks in.
The sad fact is that we cannot work our way out of guilt. It is engraved into our beings, the greater the sin, the more deeply guilt is built into our psyche.
Guilt is an emotion that, if followed, keeps us chained to our past.
It is a cruel jailor ever reminding us of the bad things we have done.
We've all lived in the dark prison of guilt at some point in our lives.
There is only one true release from those chains and that is through the perfect sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.
We may try to do penance of one kind or another. Perhaps be extra kind to someone we've wronged. Or, give some big donation to charity.
Yet that won't truly expunge the guilt we feel.
We can say: "It doesn't matter, we all make mistakes", and bury it deep.
It will still lurk in the shadow of our conscience, ready to pounce and accuse with pointy fingers when our defences are down!
Only Jesus can give complete forgiveness and a brand new start.
Yes, through turning to Him, the past is wiped clean before God and we are justified (just as if we'd never sinned).
Of course, other people and, particularly, Satan, will never be in agreement with Jesus' cleansing and forgiveness.
There will always be those willing to resurrect our past sins and recall them publicly.
But, in Jesus, we have a God-given right to live guilt free.
So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.
Romans 8:1-4
In Jesus, give yourself permission to live guilt free today! Any other response will be a slap in the face to the One who died to make it so!
When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having cancelled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; He has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
Colossians 2:13-15
As the old hymn says:
Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
Fast bound in sin and nature's night
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light
My chains fell off, my heart was free
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee
Amazing love! How can it be
That Thou, my God should die for me?
No condemnation now I dread
Jesus, and all in Him, is mine
Alive in Him, my living Head
And clothed in righteousness divine
Bold I approach the eternal throne
And claim the crown, through Christ my own
Amazing love! How can it be
That Thou my God, should die for me?
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