Feeling Shame?

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 free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:1–2)

DEVOTION

We are told that we are forgiven for our sins. But sometimes we don’t really “feel” forgiven. Sometimes we carry some of that old guilt around, for good measure.

     As Christians, we don’t have to do this. We don’t have to be slaves to our guilt, to our condemnation, because Jesus has set us free from all that. He has given us new life. Jesus took the penalties of our sins on himself when he gave his life on the cross. If we allow ourselves to feel guilty about sins that God has forgiven us for, we are essentially saying that Jesus’ sacrifice wasn’t big enough to cover our sins—and we know that this just isn’t true. 
     If you hear a voice telling you to feel bad about the sins for which you’ve already been forgiven, know that this voice is not the voice of God. Your guilt is valuable to the enemy. But he can’t do much with your freedom. And you are free. You are free from the law of sin and death. Jesus Christ set you free two thousand years ago at Calvary.

PRAYER

Dear God, thank you for Calvary. Thank you for forgiving us for our sins. Please set us free from guilt and condemnation. Amen. 

This devotion was written for Once a Day: At the Table Family Devotional. This is a family-oriented devotional book written by my writing team & me. Reprinted with permission.