The Forgiveness of the Cross

The Cross and Everyday Life
"The Forgiveness of the Cross"

Romans 5:6-11

How do your deal with your guilt?

The Feelings of Guilt

Guilt has two common meanings:

• The State of having done a wrong

• A painful Feeling of self-reproach resulting from a belief that we have done something wrong

The challenge is:

• You can Feel guilty without being guilty

• You can Be guilty without feeling guilty

The Bible describes three types of conscience:

1. A Weak (or immature) conscience

“However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, through former association with idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled.” (1 Corinthians 8:7)

2. A Seared conscience

“through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.” (1 Timothy 4:2–3)

3. A Mature conscience

“And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.” (Philippians 1:9–11)

“Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things.” (Hebrews 13:18)

“For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me.” (1 Corinthians 4:4)

God’s Dealing with Guilt

God deals with our guilt through the principle of voluntary Self-substitution

Jesus is the only one who ever chose the Fact of death

“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)

“For the essence of sin is man substituting himself for God, while the essence of salvation is God substituting himself for man. Man asserts himself against God and puts himself where only God deserves to be; God sacrifices himself for man and puts himself where only man deserves to be.”  John Stott

Genuine guilt is an objective Fact that had to be dealt with through an objective Act

The Healing of Our Guilt

• Realize you are a sinner

“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3:23)

• Repent of your sin

“Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out,” (Acts 3:19)

• Receive Christ as Lord and Savior

“because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)

“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,” (John 1:12)

“For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”” (Romans 10:11)

• Rejoice continually by looking to what Jesus has done for you on the cross

Making It Personal:

• How are you dealing with your guilt?

• Have you personally received the healing of your guilt by trusting in God’s dealing with our guilt and sin through the voluntary self-substitution of Jesus Christ?

• Who’s your one? Who are you praying for that they will come to a saving relationship with Jesus Christ?  How will you seek to share the good news of the gospel with them?

• How can you daily rejoice in God’s provision by looking to the cross of Jesus?

• Who can I share these truths with?