I Don't Focus On My Sins, Guilt and Shame destroys a Christian's Walk with God!

[farouk]

Focusing on God's love and forgiveness keeps us open to His grace and power. He always supplies us with His grace, but we leave it laying there untouched because we think we're disqualified because we commit sins. But it's that grace that that we stand, not because we do good works.

Looking at our sins is a catalog of works, but resting in Jesus' completed work is resting in faith. And the good works come as a product of our lives in Christ.

Much love!

We recently studied Ephesians and it is indeed all about grace.

 

[FollowHim]

On forums I have met people who would throw me into hell for believing in loving and forgiving others, while they claim God has forgiven and accepted them, because I do not look at theology the way they do. And when pushed a little further they did not believe Jesus was the King of our hearts, minds, emotions and strength. They were able to have God accept them as they are, forgive them of their failures and they can stay and live as they are, and no one should dare judge anything they are doing as wrong.

you realize that's not me . . .

I am glad you do not judge people. I mention the experience of being rejected for holding with love and forgiveness from the heart, because the more I know Jesus the more I know those who do not do this do not know Him.

One individual feared love as a cynical manipulation that led to idealism and cults. And in part they are right, love is the most powerful force in our lives, and loyalty placed anywhere outside Jesus is going to lead to death. They then thought anyone who preached love and forgiveness was an evil self important cult leader. And to be honest in a group setting the pain and hurt many carry, has to be handled carefully. But this is what the cross is for, to show how loved everyone is, and the path to forgiveness which we are called to follow.

But if ones heart is shut down, and theology is ones hope, then Jesus has not begun to move.
I could not believe, literally how strongly this individual spoke and intended harm. It is how the words can be like a covering of a wolf who intends to destroy others. They use language of acceptance and encouragement for some and then condemnation and rejection of others in the most emotive terms they can create. Jesus called such people false teachers, teaching thorns and thistles.

Now to these folk, they are full of hurt and know when you talk of love and tenderness, they feel pain, betrayal and disappointment. But this is the point, they have not been healed by Jesus and made whole, and what flows from them is defence, aggression and rejection even though Jesus and theology is all mixed along. When Jesus heals us in our hearts, love flows, we want to encourage and reach out, we want people to become springs of life and freedom not living in bondage and death.

I had someone say to this expression, "I am not buying it."
What they did not see was they are speaking to Jesus and the cross. What matters, what really matters, what matters eternally, above everything else, where nothing else gets sight or sign, God has forgiven us through the cross.
And we show our faith, by accepting His healing in our hearts. The two go hand in hand. If one believes Jesus, one believes in the healing and so in love and its work in who we are. If one has not believed Jesus, ones heart will testify to this.

Thorns and thistles, or love and purity. God bless you

 

[marks]

I could not believe, literally how strongly this individual spoke and intended harm. It is how the words can be like a covering of a wolf who intends to destroy others. They use language of acceptance and encouragement for some and then condemnation and rejection of others in the most emotive terms they can create. Jesus called such people false teachers, teaching thorns and thistles.

I think I've known these.

Well did Jesus say to His disciples that the world would know that Jesus had sent them by their love for each other. Not in word but in truth.

Those who have not come to know God's love and forgiveness, their sins are always before their face, testifying against them, and that's what they know.

Much love!

 

[stunnedbygrace]

"14 Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord."
Heb 12

"7 For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life."
1 Thess

"8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God."
Matt 5

The truth is without a pure heart we cannot see the simplicity of love and its importance.
Yesterday I saw a man in politics dismiss threats of murder and violence as "humbug"

What they meant was real danger and insane people were threatening damage and harm to others was being used to create a feeling of antagonism against the position this individual held. They did not see the hurt and harm another was actually expressing, and how they could help. All they could see was selfish ambition and their objective above any other consideration.

The priests and pharisees pictured in the good samaritan were doing the same.

On forums I have met people who would throw me into hell for believing in loving and forgiving others, while they claim God has forgiven and accepted them, because I do not look at theology the way they do. And when pushed a little further they did not believe Jesus was the King of our hearts, minds, emotions and strength. They were able to have God accept them as they are, forgive them of their failures and they can stay and live as they are, and no one should dare judge anything they are doing as wrong.

Nineveh was forgiven because they repented and changed their behaviour. Just saying the words is meaningless.

17 They keep saying to those who despise me, 'The LORD says: You will have peace.' And to all who follow the stubbornness of their hearts they say, 'No harm will come to you.'
18 But which of them has stood in the council of the LORD to see or to hear his word? Who has listened and heard his word?
19 See, the storm of the LORD will burst out in wrath, a whirlwind swirling down on the heads of the wicked.
Jer 23

Our words and our life need to match each other. Our hearts are the key and letting God purify us.

I saw one of your posts this morning somewhere else. It seemed so wise that I went seeking out all of your posts, wondering, where on earth did he or she come from?? It is very good to meet you. You are a breath of fresh air. I am going to follow you so I don't lose you.