4 Scriptures to Overcome Thoughts of Condemnation and Guilt

 

4 Scriptures to overcome thoughts of condemnation and guilt

by Barbara Latta @barbaralatta

Does your mind play games with your conscience over past sins? Do you suffer with guilt even though you know you are forgiven?

Sometimes the words of others can ignite those thoughts and bring the hammer down on any positive progression we have made in our souls.

I have heard these words from people before. "(Name of person) told me I have cancer because there must be sin in my life."

Or thoughts and accusations come after a disaster or tragedy such as, "This happened because of what I did." (Meaning they think they are being punished because of a past sin, not a consequence of a bad decisions such as having a wreck because of speeding.)

Happy Valentine's Day From the One Who Loves You Most

 

Happy Valentine's Day From the One Who Loves You Most

by Barbara Latta @barbaralatta

Chocolate, roses, fancy dinners, and stuffed animals are the primary gifts given for Valentine’s Day. These are physical reminders of affectionate feelings for another person. But after the day is over, do we revert back to old ways and forget the loving things said and done because of a special holiday?

Our tokens of love are emotional. Feelings aren’t wrong, but we can’t depend on them to guide our lives. Sometimes we don’t feel like being loving, we would rather be grumpy or rude. 

But real love does the action without the feeling.

Are Christians Intolerant?

by Barbara Latta

Intolerance is a word batted about like a tennis ball in the realm of politics, news and social media. A

stand against certain behaviors draws accusations of intolerance. However, those screaming these accusations are rarely, if ever, tolerant of those with differing opinions.

Because some actions and attitudes are labeled as sin, the question arises, “Are Christians intolerant?”

Let’s look at what Jesus said and did.

The True Nature of God is Love, Not Judgment

by Barbara Latta

Chocolate, roses, fancy dinners, and stuffed animals are the primary gifts given for

The true nature of God is love, not judgment.

Valentine’s Day. These are physical reminders of affectionate feelings for another person. But after the day is over, do we revert back to old ways and forget the loving things said and done because of a special holiday?

Our tokens of love are emotional. Feelings aren’t wrong, but we can’t depend on them to guide our lives. Sometimes we don’t feel like being loving, we would rather be grumpy or rude. But real love does the action without the feeling.

The true nature of God is unconditional love, not judgment. He loved us while we were still dirty, rotten sinners (Romans 5:8). He showed the one and only kind of real love when he gave Jesus to us as a gift wrapped in a little baby to grow into the man who would have all the foul sin of the world placed upon him. He placed the judgment of His wrath upon His own Son so it wouldn't fall upon us. 

That was action, not emotion.

Happy Valentine's Day from Jesus

Because He loved us, we can love Him (I John 4:10). And because He loved us, we can love others. Not with a feeling, but with a showing, a doing, a becoming what He made us to be.

Our works don’t bring us into a relationship with God. Faith does that. Receiving grace does that (Ephesians 8-9). But to bring someone else into that grace requires showing them the love of the Father. And that is where the action comes in. When we don't retaliate against someone who has mistreated us we are reflecting the true nature of God because that is what He did for us. He doesn't give us evil when we display evil. He empties Himself and pours out a love we can not experience through human emotion.

The valentine of heaven wasn’t a card sent through an angelic mailbox. It was blood running down a wooden cross to soak into the cursed earth. One drop would have been enough, but he used it all to show us He goes over and beyond and does much more than we need.  He paid the highest cost and we were given the freest gift.

Happy Valentine’s Day—from Jesus.

What does this love mean to you?

The true nature of God is love not judgment (click to tweet)

Happy Valentine's Day from Jesus (click to tweet)