Countless billions of dollars are spent on health care every
year for one totally unnecessary illness.
Our hospitals could have thousands of empty beds except for one totally
unnecessary illness. Insurance companies
could save billions of dollars and premiums could be lower except for one
totally unnecessary illness. Test after
test that is run only to find no cause could be avoided if it weren’t for one
totally unnecessary illness. What is
that illness? It is the illness of
guilt. Guilt leads to thousands of other
symptoms that cannot be treated because the root cause always remains.
Martin Luther said that we should begin every day with the
Lord’s Prayer and end every day the same way.
There is a key line in that prayer, that if we believe God is true,
would aid millions of people. “Forgive
us our debts (trespasses) as we forgive our debtors (those who trespass against
us)”. Since God is true and we ask Him for
forgiveness, He gives it. We can go to
bed and sleep well. We won’t be stressed
about all the guilty things we have done in our lives. They are forgiven in Christ. The illnesses that come from guilt will
disappear from our lives. God has
removed our sins from us and buried them in the deepest sea. He is not going scuba diving to bring them
back up. Neither should we.
Psalm 32:1 says, “Blessed (happy) is the man whose sin is
forgiven.” The next verse says, “Blessed
is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him.” There should be a whole lot of happiness and
not a whole lot of guilt in the Christian life.
We came to God by faith believing that He loved us and wanted to save us
from our sins. He does love us and does
forgive our sins. He wants to save us
from the guilt and associated illnesses and sorrows that come from hanging on
to what He has forgiven. He wants to
spread some real happiness in our lives.
John Scofield wrote the wonderful hymn “Cancelled!” The third verse truly expresses how we should
be in our life, free from the guilt of sin and singing praises to Him. Then the chorus rousingly proclaims that our
sins are cancelled through Christ.
Please don’t live in the shadow and pain of guilt. Believe the promises and sing. “Gratitude to
Him has turned my heart to praise, I’m grateful for gifts bestowed; and my song
will flow thro’ all the coming days, for He cancelled the debt I owed.” (Chorus) “Jesus cancelled the debt I owed, Jesus lifted
the mighty load; grace divine touched my soul and made me whole when He
cancelled the debt I owed.”
The Friday Benediction
Until Monday, my friends, may the
good God envelop you with His grace; may you prove the common confession of
faith, “I believe in the holy Christian church and in the fellowship of the
saints”, and may you be enriched with joy and hope as you exercise that
confession this weekend. Amen
Visit my website at www.davidccraig.net for inspiring Christian
books. Coming this month is my newest
book Taking Care of Joe. This is the story of a caregiver for an
Alzheimer’s patient. See how God adds
His grace in the face of this horrible disease and how living a life of love is
living a life NOT interrupted.
You can now also find some of my selected devotions at www.FEBC.org.
Just click "blog" on the menu bar.
You can also learn more about this great mission organization by reading
through their website.
No comments:
Post a Comment