The Baggage of Guilt
Series goal: Travel Light-Live Free
(Matthew 11:28)(GW) "Come to me, all you who are tired from carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest.
(Psalm 38:4) “My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden to heavy to bear.”
(Genesis 2:25) “…the man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.”
(Genesis 3:8-10) (NLT) “When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees. Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.”
Living Guilt-Free means:
1. Freedom is still God’s plan for me
(Galatians 5:1) “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”
2. Sin leads me to guilt and separation
3. Jesus died so I would put the bags down
(Acts 7:54-56) “When they heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. "Look," he said, "I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God."
(Acts 7:57-58) “At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul."
(Romans 8:1) “…there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus”
(2 Corinthians 5:17) “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
(2 Corinthians 12:9-10) “‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses…For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
(Romans 11:6) "And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace."
When you put the bags down:
1. It changes how you relate to people.
(Philippians 2:1-3) “…if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose”
2. It changes how you relate to God.
(Hebrews 12:2)(NLT) “We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.Because of the joyawaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.”
3. It changes how you are used by God.
(Psalm 18:35) “You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great.”
(Psalm 32:5) "Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the Lord' and you forgave the guilt of my sin."
