Truth Be Told: A Six-Day Devotional by Matthew Westنموونە

Day 5

Lie #5: Guilt is just your burden to bear. 

Truth be told: Grace tells a different story. 

The Bible talks about a spiritual warfare being waged for our souls, a war between guilt and grace, good and evil, God's truth and Satan's lies. Ephesians 6:12 says, “This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.” This is no joke - guilt and grace share only one thing in common, they both want our attention. Beyond that, they stand in stark contrast to one another and just like the scripture says, choosing between the two is a matter of life or death. 

This is what guilt says, “You're broken beyond repair.” 

Grace says, “Get ready to be healed beyond belief.” 

Guilt says, “You're too far gone.” 

Grace says, “You're just one step away from home.” 

Guilt says, “You're nothing but damaged goods.” 

Grace says, “Your life is something good in the making,” 

Guilt says, “Your best days are behind you.” 

Grace says, “The best is yet to come.” 

Guilt says, “You're too wounded.” 

Grace says, “I was wounded so you could be mended.” 

Guilt says, “You'll never escape your past.” 

Grace says, “Your sins are remembered no more.” 

Guilt says, “You're helpless.” 

Grace says, “I will help you, just ask.” 

Guilt asks, “How could you?” 

Grace asks, “How could you ever doubt my love?” 

Guilt pushed Adam and Eve away from God in the garden.

Guilt pushed Judas to the point of suicide.

Guilt pushed Peter back out on a boat to his old life as a fisherman after he denied Christ.

When all we see are the mistakes we've made, things start to look hopeless in a hurry, right?

But while guilt pushes, grace reaches with the arms of a loving Father. Grace reached for a prodigal son. Grace reached for a woman caught in the act of adultery. Grace reached for a thief on a cross and grace reaches for you, right now. 

Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” So, let me ask you this - when was the last time you had a clear conscience? A clear conscience is proof that we have fully taken hold of the freedom we've been given in Christ. 

I think a lot of times, I sing about a God who forgives my sin, but I find it most difficult to let myself off the hook. Can you relate? Here's what I’m learning - just because I’m a work in progress does not mean that I’m not a new creation. I don't have to live in fear that with every wrong turn I make I'll lose what I once found. In Isaiah 43:13, God says, “No one can snatch you out of my hand. No one can undo what I have done.” I love that!  Grace has torn, in a million little pieces, the list of sins that Satan has held in front of you for so long. Imagine a list of every sin you've ever committed and every mistake you've ever made in your life being torn and tossed into the air like confetti at a New Year’s Day parade. For a new creation, every day is New Year's Day and when you live like that, you get less afraid of what's behind you and more excited about what's in front of you: what God's going to do in your life next. 

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I don't know why it's so hard to admit it 

When being honest is

The only way to fix it 

There's no failure, no fault,

There's no sin you don't already know

So, let the truth be told