Romans 8:1-4
Guilt. If ever there was a word we shrink back from and avoid today is
the very notion of guilt. Someone once defined guilt as "an accusatory
sense of failure." When I was a child, guilt was a good motivator to
get me to eat my vegetable: "Think of all those hungry children in
Africa with nothing to eat!" It didn't make me like my veggies any
better, but the statement jerked on my heartstrings and got my mouth
open. Statements like "Look what you did!" were also designed to
instill shame or embarrassment, as well as bring recrimination upon the
individual. Feeling badly for hurting someone's feelings, for making a
bad grade on one's report card, for taking cookies out of the cookie jar
when told not to do so were sufficient at one time. We have raised an
entire generation, however, that knows very little about "this
accusatory sense of failure." No one likes to fail. Failure is
extremely unpleasant. We cannot fathom the thought of our children
failing, so we have tried every way we can to remove failure from our
classroom curriculum. You are forbidden to make anyone feel guilty
anymore. You make a child feel guilty in the classroom, it reflects
upon the parents' ability to raise that child. Then the teacher has a
real problem! F's are reserved for those who don't show up for class,
and even then, there are few consequences. When Johnny knows he will
not be left behind, then he will try to get by doing less instead of
more. The problem is, by removing the guilt factor, we have produced a
generation of underachievers. Many children's sports leagues have
changed the rules as well, and have removed the spirit of competition
which drives kids to do their best. But because we don't want kids to
have their feelings hurt, we tell each team that they are winners,
despite who has the highest score.
The worse sin in the world now is the sin of making someone feel
guilty. Make someone accountable, and you are self-righteous.
Challenge someone not to take part in self-destructive lifestyles, and
you are judgmental. The Bible teaches us, however, that it is not God
that condemns us, but our own sins.
"There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in
Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to
the Spirit, For the law of the Spirit of life inn Christ Jesus has made
me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in
that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in
the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in
the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled
in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the
Spirit:" Romans 8:1-4
Where does this "accusatory sense of failure" come from? We think it
comes from God, but it doesn't. It comes from ourselves. Our sin cries
out against us not when we have a personal relationship with God, but
when we are without one. Without that personal relationship, the law of
sin takes over, and condemns us.
My friend, Jesus did not come into the world to condemn the world, and
heap the sense of failure on this world. It had enough of that
already. Jesus came into the world to remove our sin's guiltiness and
place it upon Himself. Have a blessed day.
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