Guilt Trip vs. Grace Way
By Michelle Rocker
Satan is the king of the guilt trip. Some of you may think it is your mother, but trust me Satan has perfected it. Jesus does not work out of guilt. He works out of grace. Satan tries to tell us that if we pray, we will get the “I told you so” speech; or even worse, visualizing that hurt on His face that YOU caused. Sometime it is just flat-out plain stubbornness on my part.
I’m always reminded of the verse in Psalm 103:10. He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. That verse just makes me want to sag with relief. I have made so many mistakes and sinned so many times. I have people who haven’t forgiven me for things, but not God. He convicts me when I have done wrong. But the instance I ask for forgiveness, he bathes me in his love and forgiveness. That is the best feeling in the whole world.
A few months earlier, I was at a concert with Chris Tomlin and he was singing the song, “Here I Am To Worship.” The bridge says, “I’ll never know how much it cost to see my sin upon that cross.” I was singing it over and over with the crowd, and closed my eyes. I started crying as I saw all my sins hanging on that cross right beside my beaten and dying Savior: the One, who became flesh and dwelt among us, so that we could be redeemed. I had to sit down and proceeded to bawl my eyes out.
Forgiveness is exemplified in story after story in the Bible. Moses, the chosen leader of the Israelites, killed a man and had to flee to another country. One day he sees a bush burning, yet not burning up. He went over to examine the site further, and God spoke to him. When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, "Moses! Moses!" And Moses said, "Here I am." "Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." Then he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob." At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God. (Exodus 3:4-6)
Moses was so ashamed of the sin he had committed, he was afraid to even look at God. I sure understand that feeling! God then tells Moses that he has chosen him to lead the people of Israel out of slavery. Obviously, Moses says, “What?”
But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?" And God said, "I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain." (Exodus 3:11-12)
Isn’t the fact that this Savior extends grace so readily and easily amazing? Like the old chorus said, “God is so good.”
By Michelle Rocker
Satan is the king of the guilt trip. Some of you may think it is your mother, but trust me Satan has perfected it. Jesus does not work out of guilt. He works out of grace. Satan tries to tell us that if we pray, we will get the “I told you so” speech; or even worse, visualizing that hurt on His face that YOU caused. Sometime it is just flat-out plain stubbornness on my part.
I’m always reminded of the verse in Psalm 103:10. He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. That verse just makes me want to sag with relief. I have made so many mistakes and sinned so many times. I have people who haven’t forgiven me for things, but not God. He convicts me when I have done wrong. But the instance I ask for forgiveness, he bathes me in his love and forgiveness. That is the best feeling in the whole world.
A few months earlier, I was at a concert with Chris Tomlin and he was singing the song, “Here I Am To Worship.” The bridge says, “I’ll never know how much it cost to see my sin upon that cross.” I was singing it over and over with the crowd, and closed my eyes. I started crying as I saw all my sins hanging on that cross right beside my beaten and dying Savior: the One, who became flesh and dwelt among us, so that we could be redeemed. I had to sit down and proceeded to bawl my eyes out.
Forgiveness is exemplified in story after story in the Bible. Moses, the chosen leader of the Israelites, killed a man and had to flee to another country. One day he sees a bush burning, yet not burning up. He went over to examine the site further, and God spoke to him. When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, "Moses! Moses!" And Moses said, "Here I am." "Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." Then he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob." At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God. (Exodus 3:4-6)
Moses was so ashamed of the sin he had committed, he was afraid to even look at God. I sure understand that feeling! God then tells Moses that he has chosen him to lead the people of Israel out of slavery. Obviously, Moses says, “What?”
But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?" And God said, "I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain." (Exodus 3:11-12)
Isn’t the fact that this Savior extends grace so readily and easily amazing? Like the old chorus said, “God is so good.”
copyright © 2008 Michelle Rocker. All rights reserved.