Freedom in ChristExemplo

Guilty and Confused

Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy. (v. 16 NIV)

When I accepted Christ in January 1980, I was forgiven and accepted as a child of God. After a few days, however, I continued to be bothered by feelings of guilt for my past alcoholic life and the damages it had caused. I was later taught that no matter how many times I fall short, I am still his child. Jesus has already fought and won the battle against sin. His death and resurrection paid for our past, present, and future sin. When we mess up, the grace to cover our sins is available for us. We simply need to access it through confession and repentance with confidence to receive our Savior’s great mercy.

We didn’t earn God’s favor, and we don’t need to fear reaching out to him because of something we’ve done. Jesus was “tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin,” which means he can “empathize with our weaknesses” (v. 15). That’s a comforting thought. Hebrews 4:16 tells us to “approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy.”

Do you struggle to approach God when you’ve messed up? What do you need to confess to God and seek forgiveness for? If there are areas where God has forgiven you, but you still punish yourself, give them again to God and then let go. Step into that forgiveness today.

As you pray, ask Jesus to help you accept his grace and mercy.

Rev. Titus Baraka serves as Executive Director for Words of Hope Uganda.