WEDNESDAYS DEVOTION :)

[Guest guest]

FROM: THE SEARCH FOR SIGNIFICANCE DEVOTIONAL

BY ROBERT S. MCGEE

RESPONDING TO FEELINGS OF GUILT

AND HE DIED FOR ALL, THAT

THEY WHO LIVE SHOULD NO

LONGER LIVE FOR THEMSELVES,

BUT FOR HIM WHO DIED AND

ROSE AGAIN ON THEIR BEHALF.

________________2 CORINTHIANS 5:15

HOW CAN WE DEAL WITH FEELINGS OF GUILT? FIRST, WE NEED TO AFFIRM

THAT CHRIST HAS FORGIVEN US AND HAS MADE US JUDICIALLY RIGHTEOUS BEFORE

GOD. OUR SIN DOES NOT RESULT IN CONDEMNATION, BUT IT IS HARMFUL AND

BRINGS DISHONOR TO GOD. WE CAN CONFESS OUR SIN TO GOD, CLAIM THE

FORGIVENESS WE ALREADY HAVE IN CHRIST, AND THEN MOVE ON IN JOY AND

FREEDOM TO HONOR HIM. THE FOLLOWING PRAYER EXPRESSES THIS ATTITUDE:

FATHER, I AFFIRM THAT I AM

DEEPLY LOVED BY YOU, THAT I

AM FULLY PLEASING TO YOU,

AND THAT I AM TOTALLY

ACCEPTED IN YOUR SIGHT. YOU

HAVE MADE ME COMPLETE AND

HAVE GIVEN ME THE

RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST,

EVEN THOUGH MY

PERFORMANCE OFTEN FALLS

SHORT. LORD, I CONFESS MY

SINS TO YOU. (LIST THEM. BE

SPECIFIC). I AGREE WITH YOU

THAT THESE ARE WRONG. THANK

YOU FOR YOUR GRACE AND

FORGIVENESS. IS THERE

ANYTHING I NEED TO RETURN,

ANYONE I NEED TO REPAY, OR

ANYONE I NEED TO APOLOGIZE

TO? THANK YOU.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO AFFIRM OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS IN CHRIST AS WELL AS TO

CONFESS OUR SINS. GOD DOES NOT NEED TO BE REMINDED OF OUR RIGHT STANDING

IN HIM, BUT WE DO. THEREFORE, WE NEED TO MAKE THIS PRAYER A DAILY

EXPERIENCE AND ALLOW IT TO PERVADE OUR THOUGHTS AND HEARTS. AS WE YIELD

TO THE GENTLE PRODDING OF GOD-GIVEN CONVICTION, CONFESS OUR SINS, AND

AFFIRM OUR TRUE RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM, WE WILL BE GRADUALLY SHAPED AND

MOLDED IN SUCH A WAY THAT WE WILL INCREASINGLY HONOR THE ONE WHO *DIED

AND ROSE AGAIN ON [OUR] BEHALF* (2 CORINTHIANS 5:15).

WE MAY NOT EXPERIENCE JOY AND FREEDOM IMMEDIATELY, ESPECIALLY IF WE

HAVE DEVELOPED THE PAINFUL HABIT OF PROLONGED

SELF-CONDEMNATION AS A WAY OF DEALING WITH SIN. LOVING FRIENDS WHO

LISTEN TO US AND ENCOURAGE US CAN BE AN EXAMPLE OF GOD'S FORGIVENESS TO

US. AS WE BECOME MORE HONEST ABOUT OUR FEELINGS THROUGH THESE AFFIRMING

RELATIONSHIPS, WE WILL BE ABLE TO INCREASINGLY EXPERIENCE THE FREEDOM,

FORGIVENESS, AND FRESHNESS OF GOD'S GRACE.

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HOW DO UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS ABOUT OUR FEELINGS KEEP US FROM

EXPERIENCING OF GOD'S LOVE AND FORGIVENESS?

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THANK YOU, LORD, FOR YOUR UNCONDITIONAL LOVE AND FORGIVENESS. DAILY, I

AM BECOMING MORE AWARE OF HOW COMPLETE I AM IN YOU. PLEASE HELP ME TO

CONTINUE GROWING IN YOUR SPIRIT BY SHOWING ME . . . .

GENTLEHUGS AND PRAYERS

SAM