Day 19 – Guilt Free and Led by the Spirit – Julie Earl
Romans 8:1-17
Guilt is the devil’s greatest tool to keep Christians from walking in the power and authority we were given. He loves to bombard and attack us with condemnation. “You weren’t kind enough…You didn’t read the Bible enough…You missed church…You didn’t share your faith.” And on and on he goes. Romans 8:1-2 assures us that we are free from condemnation. “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.”
When we fully understand deep within our spirits that we are free from the law (which causes sin and death in us), then we can live our lives purely in response to God’s love and the leading of His Spirit. We will be able to take our focus off the sins or shortcomings the devil keeps pointing out, and fix our focus on loving God and daily following the leading of God’s Spirit for our lives. “Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires, but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires” (Romans 8:5). The devil wants us to have our minds set on our sins and how much we are messing up, but God wants us to focus on Him and have our minds set on loving and pleasing Him. “The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace” (Romans 8:6).
When you do sin or mess up, thank Jesus for the forgiveness He died to give you, and ask Him to keep growing you up in love and holiness. Rather than wallowing in guilt and becoming discouraged, remember that “if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness”(Romans 8:10). Remember that all your sins were covered by Jesus so that you could be righteous in God’s sight. God can’t see your sins because you’re in Christ and you are the righteousness of God. “God made him who had no sin [Jesus] to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
When you walk in condemnation and focus on your sins – the sins Jesus gave His life to forgive – you are telling Jesus that His sacrifice wasn’t enough. You are denying your righteousness and the fact that you are a new creation in Christ. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
So when you overeat, or eat junk (one of my battles), or lose your temper or watch something you shouldn’t, forgive yourself and run to your Abba Father and remember who you are and whose you are, so that you can walk in more victory the next time as you follow His leading and His love. “For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God….Now if we are children, then we are heirs–heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory” (Romans 8:13-14, 17). When you receive the forgiveness that Jesus’ suffering paid for, you become an heir of all God has and all Jesus has – and that includes becoming righteous in His sight!
Julie’s Note: Walking guilt free and being led by God’s loving Spirit is the only way to gain greater freedom from sin, so I pray this truth permeates your spirit and further permeates mine!
Many blessings as you walk in the Spirit!
Julie Earl with Crazy About You Ministries (CAYM)
All Scripture is taken from the New International Version 1984 Edition unless otherwise noted.