It's All Behind You

Overcoming Past Guilt:

     Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in CHrist Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.
      For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit....
      For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry " Abba, Father...."
        What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for all of us-how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?
       Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies.
       Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died-more than that, who was raised to lif-is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.

 Scriptures:

Romans 8:1-4,15,31-34

Defining Moments:

If you only knew how clean your record was. If you could only believe how much the Father loves you.
       If you could finally understand that when you gave your heart to Jesus, you " clothed yourself with Christ", so that when God looks at you now, He doesn't see that junk you used to wear, but the pure, shining garments of Christ's everlasting righteousness.
      He sees you for who you really are. A full-fledged child of the loving God. Oh, you've still got some wrinkles to iron out. And as you stay open to the Spirit's conviction through the Bible, through sermons, through the words of a true friend, you'll be drawn to new repentance.
      You'll want to be like Christ no matter what it costs. But guilt gives itself away by beating you down, accusing you of hypocrisy when God says you're worthy of heaven. Turn the guilt of your past into a testimony of God's power. And walk away with your head in the clouds.

Next Up:
When your faith is young and exhuberance spills over easily into life, some people won't be crazy about who you're becoming. You'd be crazy to listen to them.

Quote:
 " Through true guilt, the Holy Spirit seeks to draw us closer to God. Through false, incriminating guilt, Satan seeks to separate us from God." -Jim Henry