A Guide to Guilt-Free Living
“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you[a] free from the law of sin and death.”
We are simply not built for guilt. You know the feeling, don't you? It is like carrying a rucksack that is far too heavy, loaded with stones from every mistake we have ever made. God never intended His children to be loaded down like this. Our systems do not handle it well at all. If God had wanted us to remain crushed by guilt, He certainly would not have sent Jesus to redeem us from it.
The good news of the gospel is quite specific. The Apostle Paul uses a legal term here, condemnation. In the original language, the word katakrima often refers to punishment following a sentence, or what we might call penal servitude. It is the doom that hangs over a criminal. But Paul announces a stunning verdict for us: there is now no such sentence for those in Christ Jesus.
Why? Because Jesus bore our iniquities. He paid the price. We must understand that God dealt with sin decisively. He did not just sweep it under the rug. He condemned sin in the flesh of Jesus. This means the penalty has been executed, the debt is settled, and the file is closed.
Now, as believers in Jesus Christ and as sons and daughters of God, we can be thankful that we have been set free from the power of sin. We are no longer slaves to that old master. However, we must be realistic. This does not mean we will never sin again. We still live in a fallen world, and we still battle with the flesh. We are, as one scholar put it, "repenting sinners". We will stumble, but the difference now is that we do not stay down.
When we do sin, we can admit it, receive forgiveness, and be free from guilt. There is a vast difference between the conviction of the Holy Spirit, which gently leads us to restore our relationship with the Father, and the heavy, crushing weight of condemnation, which drives us away from Him. Our journey with God toward right behaviour and holiness is progressive. It is a walk, step by step. We only really make progress toward true freedom and joy when we stop dragging the luggage of past mistakes along with us.
So, let us be clear. You are not under the law of sin and death anymore. You are under the law of the Spirit of life. If you have confessed your sin, it is dealt with. To keep punishing yourself is, in a way, to suggest that Jesus’ sacrifice was not quite enough. But it was enough. It was more than enough.
Let today be a fresh start. Leave the heavy rucksack at the foot of the cross, where it belongs, and walk on in the freedom that is yours in Christ.
Prayer:
Father, thank You that in Jesus, I am not condemned. Please help me to accept Your forgiveness fully and to stop punishing myself for things You have already washed away. Teach me to walk by Your Spirit today, leaving the weight of the past behind, so I can serve You with a light and joyful heart. Amen.