GUILT or GRACE

Is Anything Ever Really Free?

Are you ready to be amazed by God-sized love? Buckle up because He can’t wait to lavish His love and grace on us! Need proof?

God calls David “a man after my own heart.” (Acts 13:22) Wait a minute. Didn’t God know David’s sins? That, among other transgressions, he killed a man to cover up the adultery he committed?

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What about Paul? Wasn’t he responsible for the deaths of many first century Christians? Yet he authored at least thirteen books of the Bible.

Peter denied knowing Jesus, Jonah chose a cruise in the wrong direction, Moses broke God’s handwritten tablets … There are countless examples of sinners, imperfect people, from Adam and Eve to today. All loved by the King of Kings!

People meant to suffer the consequences of their sins ... eternal separation from God.

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But Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross changed that for all of us, if we’ll believe!

You see, long before any of us breathed our first breath, God knew we would sin. And because He longed to have a relationship with us, a perfect, sinless sacrifice was needed.

Jesus.

A while back, a coworker said she thought the forgiveness God offered was “way too easy.” Something else ... some type of penance or punishment had to be meted out. No way could the simple act of repenting—turning and asking God for forgiveness—remove her sins.

Why does it need to be harder than that? After all, this is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe we’re talking about!

Ordinarily, we’d jump at the chance to receive a free gift. We have drawers, closets, garages filled with unusable giveaways. But when it comes to God, we set up human roadblocks to the forgiveness, freedom, and guilt-free living He offers.

Is there a justifiable reason we choose to live like those without a loving God?

Maybe, as those in ancient times, we live under the misguided concept that droughts, disease, and famine come because we’ve angered the gods. To appease these stone or wood deities, people would offer livestock/food, burn their babies, bleed to death, etc. Yet nothing changes. No rain, no crops, no end to sickness. And no peace.

Let’s take an up-close look at David.

He accepted the Lord’s forgiveness with a glad heart. In fact, he said, “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” (Psm. 103:12)

Did you catch that? You and I are included in that verse!

Our sins are removed. There’s no doubt, no need for self-mutilation or torture of any kind, no human or animal sacrifice. And no reason to carry the weight of sin and guilt.

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Need more proof?

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us (our) sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

Ready to receive the best free gift ever? Repent, accept, and thank Him for His love and grace!