The freedom we have in Christ is not the freedom to sin but the freedom to acknowledge and confess our sin in front of a Holy God, so that Jesus can be what He came to be, Our Intercessor, Our Defender. But so often when sin rears its ugly head, we respond baffled, shocked and condemned and we put that on others as well, Christian this cannot be. Grace has been neglected, Grace is available, receive it for yourselves and for your hearers.

Our pride and our striving to ‘do better’ keeps us from this Overlooked Grace.

We all know people, hard hearted people who walk in the ways of this world trampling over everyone without fear of punishment and guilt is nowhere to be seen. The reason I know people is because I was one of them.

BUT…

When a child of God sins…. the response will be guilt, of course it will be for 1 or 2 reasons… they know they messed up and what they really are trying to attain is perfection or they know they messed up and they have sinned against a Holy God. Both of these guilt’s, when understood rightly, leads His children straight to the Gospel of Grace, Jesus Christ, The Good News!

“But though believers still have this indwelling propensity to sin, The Holy Spirit maintains within us a prevailing desire for holiness (1 John 3:9) The believer struggles with the sin God enables him to see in himself. This is a picture we see in Romans 7:21, and it distinguishes believers from unbelievers who lie serenely content in their darkness.” The Pursuit of Holiness – Jerry Bridges
“So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me.”
Romans 7:21

“Therefore, strengthen your tired hands and weakened knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated[a] but healed instead.
(Warning against Rejecting God’s Grace)
Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness—without it no one will see the Lord. Make sure that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no root of bitterness springs up, causing trouble and defiling many.” Hebrews 12:12-15

Grace #1- Set the captives FREE; KNOW the freedom God gives to simply acknowledge sin (I will never attain perfection in this life, Only Jesus IS), the battle is a blessing, guilt is good, and give Thanks to God for His Reign over your life.
“I am sure of this, that he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6

Do not miss this Grace.

There are many graces The Lord gives for a given situation, do not miss the First Grace. Jumping into sequential graces may in fact harm greater the situation… because yes we know we have died to sin through the death and burial of Jesus. Yes, we know God is victorious so we walk in victory over our sin and are no longer a slave to it. Yes, and because of that Victory we can, by The Power of His Spirit grow in Holiness.
But do not forget to explain the first grace every single time a person sins, which brings humility and guards come down –
The Reality is that we will battle with sin our whole lives here on this earth, you can’t run from it, so Jesus provided Himself to run to… He knows your battle and it is The Lord’s, He wants it. This guilt is from The Lord, that we might see our sin in front of a Holy God. And this is Very Good News from a Good Good Father Who, with Perfect Love, Loved us and gave His Son to be the propitiation (Divine Favor) for our sins!

If there is no guilt, there in-lies much cause for concern because God’s Grace is far from him. So we pray and we plead, Lord invoke Your Holy Spirit, Awaken him to Your Power, let him see his sin and Your Righteous Anger, then show him Your Love, May Your Mercy and Compassion fall on this sinner, Turn His heart of stone to a heart of flesh. In Jesus Name, Amen.

“Don’t be deceived: God is not mocked. For whatever a person sows he will also reap, because the one who sows to his flesh will reap destruction from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit. Let us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up.” Galatians 6:7-9

Guilt and The Battle is The Amazing Grace of God.