guilt + grace

I am human.

In a previous post (loud + meek) I wrote about my struggle with speaking too often and wanting to be more gentle with my words. And though I continuously study James 3 and remind myself that I need to tame my tongue, sometimes I simply fall into the sin. In the moment, I don’t even think about the fact that I am gossiping. Like I wrote before, it seems so innocent, just talking to your friends about “what’s what” and “who’s who” in your circle of acquaintances. In the moment, it just feels like normal conversation at the lunch table between my sorority sisters and I. But before I know it, I am looking back on the conversation and absolutely KICKING myself in the butt, realizing that I have let my tongue be a wildfire that spread evil to others rather than a light that demonstrated Christ’s love.

I grew up in the Baptist church (something I am very proud of and happy about!) and I can attest that sometimes the church is the biggest culprit in the game of gossip. You hear things about people alllllll the time “through the church grapevine” as we call it. And this is awful and sad and disappointing, but so true.

Why does the church do this? Why do Christians struggle with sin when we know that we are to be living Christ-like? Why do we sin so thoughtlessly when we know how guilty we will feel after?

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

            -Romans 3:23

“The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.”

            -Galatians 5:17

Well, I believe the simple and true answer to this is because sin is an inherent element of the human condition. No matter what we do in this life, we can never fully eradicate sin from our life. This is true for the 12 year old boy who has just been saved as well as the 82 year old woman who was saved 70 years ago. It is in our DNA to be sinful and to follow the world and to push ourselves away from God. But the beauty of the Gospel is that we aren’t bound by this sin. YAY! There is forgiveness and freedom in the story of the cross, and we are not made to feel guilty for every time we sin. BUT (there are lots of big buts in the Bible by the way) this doesn’t mean we should go one sinning.

“Then he says, “I will never again remember their sins and lawless deeds.” And when sins have been forgiven, there is no need to offer any more sacrifices. And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain in to the Most Holy Place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.”

-Hebrews 10

Because of the victory of the cross and God’s gift of grace, we are living in incredible freedom to simply ~live~ without fear of condemnation. However, because of the example of the cross and Jesus’s gift of service in the form of his life literally being given for us, we are called to live in a similar fashion. But we can never be perfect as he was. We are human, and we are going to fail. We are going to fall back into old habits, old patterns, old sins, things we are not proud of. But they are old patters of your old self, and you are called to be new.

“This means anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”

            -2 Corinthians 5:17

Let this passage resonate in your soul. It is so easy to feel guilty when we sin, because we house the Holy Spirit, who convicts us when we are living apart from God. But we are new creations now, who are made in a new image to look righteous. We have a clean slate. We are redeemed and washed white as snow. This process happened once and for all when we accepted Christ. Your sins are covered by the precious blood of Christ. When God looks upon you, he does not see your sin; He sees the Son, pure and righteous.

τετέλεσται (tetelestai) – now accomplished; all things finished; paid in full

This word is stamped on your head. You are paid in full. No guilt in life, no fear in death, you are living in the freedom of the gospel. So go and live!!

God, thank you so much for this beautiful life. Thank you for your Son, whose life was given in place of mine. Thank you for looking on me and seeing righteousness. Thank you for the grace of salvation that I am so undeserving of. I am honored to be called your child, and I will strive to live my life in a way that demonstrates that honor. I love you and I am so grateful to live in your freedom.