February 15

“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.” —ROMANS 8:1

Many Christians have a great deal of difficulty experiencing peace with God, even though they have a profound love for Christ. More often than not, the reason is because they still carry guilt of past sin, which not only weighs them down, but inhibits their spiritual growth.

One of the activities of Satan, we’re told in Revelation 12:10, is that he is the “accuser of the brethren,” those who are Christians, and he accuses us day and night before God. When it comes to sin, the devil encourages us. “Come on, it’s going to be great! Everyone is doing it.” And the moment we partake in sin, he jumps on our backs. “You sinner! God is going to hate you for this.” 

I remember talking to a lady some time ago, who told me that for twenty years she had confessed the same sin to God almost everyday. The memory and consequence of that sin had weighed heavily upon her the whole time, even impacting her marriage and how she cared for her children. The church she attended asked her several times if she would like to teach a Sunday school class, but she said she turned it down, because, “I know what I’m like and I know my past. I couldn’t possibly serve God.” I was able to say to her, “For twenty years, it’s never been God who has spoken to you about that sin. All this time, the devil has gained a foothold in your life.” And I asked her, “When you are aware of this sin, do you feel overwhelmed and swamped like a wet blanket?” Not surprisingly, she said, “That’s exactly how I feel.” 

You see, both God and the devil speak to us about our sin. When God speaks about our sin, He convicts. When the devil speaks, he condemns. And there’s a big difference. When the devil condemns, it’s like a wet blanket that sits heavily on us and we can’t move out from under it. When God convicts us of sin, He makes us aware of it, and gives us a way out. His purpose in convicting us is never to humiliate or condemn us, but to liberate us.

There are many people who believe they are unworthy of forgiveness, or of being at peace with God, but the marvellous thing is that in Christ, we are forgiven and cleansed, which is what gives us peace with God. To not believe that is to undermine the work of Jesus Christ on the cross. The sooner we cast off that heavy blanket of condemnation that so pleases Satan, the sooner we move forward in our walk with Christ, and enjoy Him for who He is.

PRAYER: Thank You, Lord, for forgiving my sin, and setting me free to enjoy an intimate relationship with You. 

TO REFLECT UPON: Am I still carrying around the guilt of past sin?