Guilt free

Considering again the analogy of bankruptcy, there is still a problem even if I assume that I have filed chapter 7. In the business world, chapter 7 bankruptcy doesn't totally settle the score. It doesn't pay the price of your debt, instead it cancels it. It frees the debtor from his responsibilities, but it does not free him from the guilt of knowing the lenders only received a portion of what was due to them. It also leaves the business man at square one to start over. To try to perform better the next time, full of guilt and either a resolve to try harder next time or depression that they have failed.

In the Christian life however, our debt has been paid in full. God sees us in the full righteousness of Jesus Christ. And not only the debt of the past, but any debt that we may incur in the future. We can live a life of peace with God, free of guilt knowing that our score is settled.

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. -Romans 5:1

I know I have a tendency to find some level of confidence in my Christian life based upon how I am "doing" in my spiritual life. I know when I don't spend time in the word, pray or go to church I get down on myself and assume that God is looking down at me too. While it is true that there are natural consequences for my actions, it is also true that he will lead me back to him. When I consider the times of my life when I have experienced the greatest growth, they are associated with these periods of my walk when God leads me home.

I have experienced his gentle nudge back in his direction many times. I have also experienced his forceful hand on my back. In either case, it was because of His grace that I came home. Not because of my spiritual discipline, lack of sin or good Christian habits.

The writer of Hebrews talks about this new life of guilt free living this way:

let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Hebrews 10:22 (emphasis mine)

Jerry Bridges describes it this way, "We are brought into God's Kingdom by grace, we are sanctified by grace; we receive both temporal and spiritual blessings by grace; we are motivated to obedience by grace' we are called to serve and enabled to serve by grace; we receive strength to endure trials by grace; and finally, we are glorified by grace. The entire Christian life is lived under the reign of God's grace."

God, thank you for giving me grace for today. Not only your promise of an eternity spent with you, but a life lived with you. Thank you for pursuing me daily, changing me through both my good and bad decisions. Thank you for being the God of my circumstances, using them for the good of your kingdom and my sanctification. In short, thank you for your grace.