Who are we watching?

Steps of faith are not easy.  It is odd that even if you believe you are following God and doing what you know He asks, that doesn't always make what He asks easy.  I think that sometimes when God asks us to do something, even if we have the confidence of knowing He is leading, there can still be a sense of trepidation.  It makes me think of Gideon and his exploits.  When God spoke to him the first thing he did was look at himself.  He considered who he was, or rather who he wasn't and began to explain to God who he was.  Good thing, I am sure God didn't already know.  Have you ever felt that way?  You want to go, you want to obey, but you look at yourself or your circumstances and think - who am I?
Gideon thought this, too.  You can imagine how excited Gideon was when God reduced his army down from the thousands to three hundred.  Gideon must have wanted to freak out.  However, what Gideon did not know was that he was about to become as dangerous as he could possibly be.
God reduces Gideon's army to pretty much nothing and then says to go attack his enemy.  Gideon couldn't see it, but via God's power, he was about to lower the boom on his enemy.  God gives Gideon what appears to be a crazy battle plan: run down the hill, blow horns, throw down clay pots, and yell.  Sounds like a formula for getting killed.  But God.  Yes, God confuses the enemy, they run, kill themselves, each other, and in general end up being defeated. Gideon wins, the enemy loses, God is in charge.
So, next time we have trepidation, let's remind ourselves of Gideon.

A Jesus follower

We need to keep our eyes on Him - not the other way around

Life continues to change. Ups and downs, highs and lows, good and bad.  In all of it, God is immutable. Good thing for us.  It is interesting that as life happens, we kind of expect God answer our questions or explain what is going on.  We expect Him to keep His eyes on us rather than the other way around.  We expect God to give an explanation, rather than us trusting that He loves us.  It is a strange thing.  I think about Joseph being tossed into a pit, bought by slave traders, doing time in jail, resisting the temptation of his bosses' wife and never saying, hey God - why are you doing this?  Rather, he kept his head.  Of course he was not aware of the big picture that God was going to use him to save Jacob, who became Israel, who later became the nation that we have today.  Apparently God had a bigger plan.  Joseph was smart.  He kept His head, let God exalt him at times and did not allow himself to be distracted.
I want to be more like that.  I think we would all benefit if we were all more like that.

Genesis 37:12 ...

A Jesus follower

Do we think we are smarter than God?

I was talking to somebody today about relationships, specifically male/female relationships.  The discussion basically centered around the idea of sex before marriage.  It has been proven statistically that the majority of women who have sex prior to marriage resent it.  Consider the motivations.  None of it really has the partner's best interest in mind.  It is lust, it is a rationalization that this is normal in our culture or a plethora of other reasons.  However, none of them are really about loving the other person.  In the famous love chapter, 1st Corinthians 13, the Apostle Paul talks to a church that had basically gotten off track and he shares the characteristics of love to help them get back on track.  Paul talks about patience, kindness, long suffering, endurance, thinking no evil and a host of other characteristics designed to help us understand the character of God.  Yet we we engage in the practice of intimacy completely outside of the definitions that He has provided for us.  Instead of it being the epitome of the expression of love, it becomes a selfishly, or at the very best, grossly misunderstood expression of something God created for us. If we are really honest, it is more about satisfying our sexual appetite, not showing love. Why are the chances of divorce higher? Resentment - primarily on the side of the woman because her knight in shining armor was more concerned about satisfying his own 'needs' rather that looking out for her.  Instead of the relationship being a covenant it is converted into a contract. 

-aJesusfollower

Jealosy Is for Kids

In 3rd John, we read about the testimony of a bunch of Christians referred to as children by John the elder.  The information about John is provided to give us perspective.  His title reflects both his natural age and his  maturity in the faith.  In this letter John describes the joy of hearing about the acts of love that people in the church show others.  Then he describes a guy who is basically power hungry and a control freak.  It's very bad that when other people within the church come through, he doesn't allow the people within his sphere of influence to help or interact with others within the church.  He wants to be the king of the hill.  Have you ever wanted to be the person with all the attention?  How about the person that is so protective of position or influence that manipulation is seen as the the way to maintain a sense of power?  The elder, and by extension God, talks to us as His children, and warns us not to behave that way.  Instead, we are encouraged to help, show hospitality, demonstrate love and grow.  A contrast is drawn that demonstrates a good way to live and influence people and a bad way to live and influence people.  The Holy Spirit is a gentleman, and in our quest to be more like Dad, John shows us the attitudes we need to be more like Him.

1 John 9-12

A Jesus follower

Does Jesus have credibility?

Does Jesus have credibility?  We may find ourselves at a crossroad when making a decision.  It could be a moral one.  It may be a faith decision.  It could be anything.  In John 5, we read the story of a sick man that Jesus heals.  In this case, Jesus approaches the man and simply asks "Do you want to be made well?"  The answer is a no brainer but it is interesting to see what happens afterward.  The now healed man is walking around with his bed, which by Jewish law was considered "work".  It happened to be on the “Sabbath” so he was breaking the rules.  When he was challenged by the prevailing religious authority at that time, the Pharisees, the healed man simply responds by saying that he was doing what Jesus told him to do.  In fact, it does not appear that the man gave any real thought to it; he was so enamored with God's love that he did not question obedience.

 If we find ourselves having a hard time, it would be helpful to remind ourselves of the sick man that Jesus healed and affirm that He has creditability with us, because He loves us so much.

John 5:1-15

-aJesusfollower

Don't be surprised by God

Now Peter continued knocking; and when the opened the door and saw him, they were astonished.
Acts 12:16
In this illustration, Peter is locked up in prison and the church prays for his release.  God sends an angel, the angel walks Peter out of prison and Peter goes to his friends' house and knocks on the door.  The girl hears the knock, recognizes Peter's voice, and runs off to tell everyone, leaving him outside.  Then when they do go back to see who it is, they think it is a vision.  DOH!  Have you ever prayed and then found yourself surprised that God said yes?  It is true, we pray, we seek God, and then when God moves in our behalf, we are caught off guard.  Why is that?  We all struggle with doubt, and the reality that our Dad in heaven hears us and will say yes.  The good news is, He says yes anyway.  Yes, sometimes we may not feel like we do the right stuff we believe will make God pull the trigger and answer with a yes.  Reality is we can't do anything to make God pull the trigger, it is simpler, though harder, to simply accept that He will move in our behalf simply because He loves us and He can.  He is after all, Dad.

Watch Out for Distractions

God and the Good News of Jesus is straightforward. God sent His son to die for us, we accept the free gift, and God becomes our Dad.  But who is "Dad?" This is where the danger lies.  If "Dad" made the world, and the world is broken, isn't it inevitably His fault?  If it is, then how do I see Him? And how do I trust Him?  This is the tricky lie that can seep into our thoughts and discussions with other people.  It is a distraction that takes us away from thinking about what He has done that proves His character.  Looking into other ideas that may consider God as part of the problem rather than the solution is a slippery slope.  Jude reminds us that we should be alert to ideas that sound really good, but are just sensations that will take us away from a simple faith in God and His love for us.

Jude 3-4     

Childlike Behaviours

In the process of living out childlike faith it is possible to find ourselves acting like a child; which can be good or bad.  I am reminded of the apostle Paul who almost went on a missionary journey with Barnabas and John Mark.  During this particular trip Paul points out to Barnabas that John Mark, Paul's personal scribe, is a flake that bailed out on them last time things got tough.  Yes, the same author that describes in Romans what it is like to be adopted, is being both the grown up and acting like a child. He is following his Dad's guidance to spread the gospel to all the world, but delays the trip long enough to have a hissy fit.  Before Paul sets out for the trip, Barnabas tells Paul he wants to bring John Mark along.  In so many words, Paul tells Barnabas that it is either him or John Mark.  Here is Paul, the great man of God, the missionary sent to the Gentiles, the Pharisee among Pharisees, and he ends up acting like a kid.  It happens to all of us, and yet we see the great work God does through Paul, which should be an encouragement to the rest of us.

Acts 15:30-40

Child like faith can often be a difficult idea to really understand.  After all, we all have opinions of what a dad or parent is like and it is sometimes good and sometimes bad.  Add to this the responsibilities we get used to as adults while trying to have a childlike perception of a God we can't see and our work is cut out for us.
However, Jesus models it for us when He says that He does only what the Father tells Him to do, which eventually resulted  in a bloody and brutal sacrifice in our behalf.  So, one way we could look at our heavenly Father is to consider the selfless acts of Jesus and remember that He is not a selfish, self serving God, but rather a selfless and giving God.
If we can accept that Jesus is truly the example we have been given, we can begin to comprehend what a good Dad we have.

Hello, I am sorry for delay in getting to this blog.
I would like to start by looking at something very fundamental to having a childlike perspective when it comes to God.  It comes from Romans 8:15 that says:

"For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!"

Question, when we hear the word adoption, what do we hear?  Traditionally, I have viewed the word to mean something like one step away from being a 'real' child or having 'real' parents.  If this is the case, if even only subconsciously, we may perceive an unspoken distance between ourselves and God.  It is helpful to keep in mind that Paul was a Roman citizen and when he wrote this, he had the benefit of Roman culture to contextualize what he meant.  For example, did you know that Octavius was adopted by Julius Cesar to be the next Cesar?  This mean that the whole reason for the adoption was to pass along an inheritance, in this case the Roman empire.  Did you know that it was a Roman practice to adopt with the intention of passing along one's inheritance. 

" Two of the most striking differences between modern Western adoptions and the ancient Roman practice are related. First, the adoptee in Rome was usually an adult male (p. 25). Second, the reason for adoption was usually to pass on one’s inheritance..."

Therefore, when God tells us we have been given a spirit of adoption, we should keep in mind that we have been given an inheritance.  Salvation, righteousness and all of God's promises have been given to us.  We are not not one step removed from God but rather we have been brought closer.  

 

Lindsay, Hugh. Adoption in the Roman World. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009. Accessed July 16, 2014. http://www.dts.edu/reviews/hugh-lindsay-adoption-in-the-roman-world/.

Happy Father's Day!

    This is the one day out of the year that we set aside to celebrate dads.  We may take them to movies or dinner, buy them a present and a card, put on a big BBQ, or something else.  Whatever we do, it's to make them feel special.  And why not?  They help raise us and show leadership through tough times.  Of course, some dads do their jobs better than others.  Myself, I've been blessed with a man whose dedication to his family is exceeded only by his dedication to God.  He's a good man, and I'm glad to call him my dad.  However, I know there are many people who aren't blessed the same way, who aren't on good terms with or who don't even know their dads.  Yet I also know this.  Whoever your dad is, whether an excellent man or someone who barely deserves the title, you have a Father, and His love is far more reliable than any dad's.

     You may have gathered that I'm talking about God.  It makes sense, since He's often called "The Father" and His Son Jesus referred to Him that way all the time.  However, what exactly does it mean when we call God our Father?  That's not a one sentence answer.  You see, each of us looks at our dad a certain way, so when we call God our Father we may be tempted to see God through the same lens as we view our earthly dad.  Such a perspective can skewer our view of God.  So the question to ask yourself is:

What do you expect from your dad?

Time
Encouragement

Directives

Love
Mercy
Grace
Comfort

Keep in mind I'm not asking what you'd expect from the perfect dad.  I'm asking what you expect from yours.  This isn't a survey, just a point of reference for you.

Now that we've established that, let's take a look at Joshua, chapter 1.  You may know all about this chapter, but in case you don't, I'll summarize quickly the backdrop it takes place in.  Moses, the leader of nomadic Israel, has just died after leading for 40+ years, and in so doing has passed the baton to Joshua, the new leader charged with bringing Israel into the permanent dwelling God has promised them.  This is no easy task, even less so when mourning one's friend and role model.  We pick up the story:

"After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, it came to pass that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying: “Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them—the children of Israel.  Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses.  From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory.  No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you.  Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.  Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.  This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.  Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:1-9 NKJV, boldface added)

     The reason some parts of this passage are bold is because I wanted to highlight some of the encouragement God gives Joshua.  You'll notice that God never says "This will be easy-peasy-rice-and-cheesy".  He never says "Do what you want.  I'll take it from here."  No, God is very straightforward about what He wants from Joshua.  However, He intersperses His command with a promise of success, conquest, and, most importantly, His presence.  He promised not to leave Joshua, and when you consider the amazing feats that Joshua performed afterwards, from lengthening a day to taking down Jericho, you realize the seriousness of God's promise.

     God was with Joshua, giving him the directive, the encouragement, the comfort, and the time that Joshua needed.  God never even specifically mentions anywhere in that passage that He is God the Father, yet here we can see Him being just that, a Father promising to be with His son through whatever may come.

     This isn't pie in the sky.  Life with family is a challenge, and a life with God is not an exception.  Yet when things seem difficult He is first and foremost the one we can rely on to reassure and protect us from anything.  That's what He does.

     If you're a dad you know the value of your children.  It's likely that you spend time protecting them from things as varied as immature boys (he'll be lucky to get the time of day from you let alone see your daughter) to peer pressure (no, your son does not have to join the baseball team just because all his friends are doing it).  That's in the job description, right?  Any disaster you can avert, any pain you can prevent, you'll do it.

     Now, imagine you have an enemy.  You've done nothing to this guy, yet he persists in provoking you anyway he can.  He badmouths you, curses in your face, and does every possible thing he can to annoys you.  His recent offenses have actually earned him a death sentence, and the only way to save him is to give up your child.  Do you do it?

     I know, I know.  That was a pretty silly question.  However, I asked it to put something in perspective.  We're the enemies of God until He adopts us as His children, and we deserve death.  He knew that, but wanted to call us His children so badly that He gave up His only perfect Son.  That's proof of love.  He could have written us off as the hopeless cases we were and started from scratch.  He didn't.  He gave His treasured Son, to show us how much He treasures us.  When you think about it, that's what a dad does on a smaller scale.   He gives his money, his time, maybe even his safety, for others, simply because he loves them as his own.  Multiply that by infinity, and you just might see a glimpse...
of the heart of God.


This Father's Day, don't forget to celebrate your Heavenly Father.  He gave you His all so you could call Him "Daddy".  One day you'll see Him.  When that day comes, you'll see Him as more than a Master, King, or even Friend.  You'll see Him as your Father, because He wanted you enough to be just that.

Happy Father's Day.





(NKJV Means New King James Version)
(animated heart from http://data3.whicdn.com/images/63090372/large.gif, a site not owned or operated by I-BulldogStudios)

Biblical Mining.

     If you were here on May 12, 2013, you probably read a post titled "Still the Sovereign Savior", in which we examined in brief some of the statements in Psalm 12.  The conclusion drawn was that no matter how bad things may appear to be, they are still in God's hands, and we need to keep following Him and trust Him through the hardest times.  However, there was a certain section of the Psalm that was zoomed in on, and that was verses 5-7, which say:

⁵ “For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy,
Now I will arise,” says the Lord;
“I will set him in the safety for which he yearns.”

⁶ The words of the Lord are pure words,
Like silver tried in a furnace of earth,
Purified seven times.
⁷ You shall keep them, O Lord,
You shall preserve them from this generation forever.

                                         (Psalm 12:5-7 NKJV)

     This verse highlights how God works things out for those who are in trouble, and also how His words are pure and will be kept.  However, note the terminology used.  God's words are compared to silver purified seven times, which is impressive.  To get an idea of metal purification, check out this video on harvesting and purifying gold.

 

     This video is shown because it gives an idea of just how difficult it is, not just to extract precious medal, but even to achieve 99.9% purity in it.  Granted, the refiners of the Psalmists' time probably didn't have methods as sophisticated as this one, but you can see how much effort it takes even today to have a truly "pure" metal.  Yet Psalms attributes a level of purity much like this to God's words, and of course, the largest collection of God's words that we have are in the Bible.

     So what does this mean for us?  Simply put, the Word of God is "international standard".  Not only does is it good everywhere, but it is more purified than anything else we see on this earth.  It has no impurities, no Biblical slag.  Nothing in it is unnecessary or irrelevant.  It is 100%, absolutely, solid, pure, truth.  When you think about this, samples like the following may seem to come to life all over again.

"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28 NKJV)

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." (Jeremiah 29:11 NKJV)

"And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart." (Galatians 6:9 NKJV)

"For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.  Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:15-16 NKJV)

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.  Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:8-9 NKJV)

"Blessed is that man who makes the Lord his trust,
And does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies." (Psalm 40:4 NKJV)

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one!  You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. (Deuteronomy 6:4-5 NKJV)

     Does this sound familiar?  You've probably heard at least some of these promises before.  How often have you considered, though, how pure they are?  These aren't empty words on a page.  They aren't emotional pick-me-ups or wise sayings.  No, they're the inspired, authoritative, pure-as-refined-silver words of God, and He wrote them down for you.  The most valuable physically accessible asset in the world right now was written for you.  This Book, the Bible, gives you more than a set of instructions.  It introduces you to the Only Person Who has never failed you, the Only Father willing to sacrifice His Son for your salvation so the two of you could be in relationship.  This isn't sentimental fluff.  It's the story of God and man, and that makes it your story too.  It's been put through the fire time and again and never failed.  

What do you think?  Will you put your foundation on it?  Will you take the Word of God and run with it?

The decision is up to you.  God wrote it down, and that settles it.  God's calling you to live in faith, to believe and, yes, even expect, the great things He not only has done, but will do, for you.  Will you stick those promises and commands on a shelf, or hide them in your heart?

There's more to His word than meets the eye.

It can't be disproven, though many have tried.

It promises, mercy, peace, and grace,

And shows us how to seek His face.

Words with power, given freely,

To needy sinners like you and me.

O! What amazing love displayed

Through God's word, now to us relayed.

Put faith in His word, believe His great love.

Thanks to His power, we now have enough.

There's a lot in His words.  Are you ready to explore His riches?  They're more valuable than we can even imagine.

(NKJV Means New King James Version)

Video from YouTube.

Cancelled Cancellation.

     Few things can be more frustrating than canceled plans.  Whether you're going to the movies with friends, planning a party, or simply intending to spend the weekend relaxing, the feeling caused by having your plans canceled is irritation.  Of course, there are exceptions.  Sometimes we have plans we're happy to change, such as when we reschedule a dentist appointment or cancel that seven hour business trip away from home.  At any rate, there are things that can't be controlled that sometimes impact our plans.  It may be tempting sometimes to think the same principle applies to God. However, that doesn't fit the picture.

     If you've read through even parts of the prophetic books of the Old Testament you know that God spends a lot of time talking to a rebellious people.  However, in spite of His repeated attempts to get them to repent, they often didn't seem to take His warnings very seriously.  One reason, evidently, was that they thought God had canceled His plans.  Ezekiel 12 shows God's response to Israel's complacent belief in His inactivity.  As Ezekiel writes:

"And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, what is this proverb that you people have about the land of Israel, which says, ‘The days are prolonged, and every vision fails’?  Tell them therefore, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “I will lay this proverb to rest, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel.”’ But say to them, ‘“The days are at hand, and the fulfillment of every vision.  For no more shall there be any false vision or flattering divination within the house of Israel.  For I am the Lord. I speak, and the word which I speak will come to pass; it will no more be postponed; for in your days, O rebellious house, I will say the word and perform it,” says the Lord God.’”  (Ezekiel 12:21-25)

     The problem was twofold- the people thought God was either slack in execution of or just plain cancelling His plans, and false prophecy was circulating on a large scale.  God may have delayed His judgment, but that was an act of mercy, not inconsistency.  People who don't see God at work may think He's not doing anything or that He doesn't care.  Israel didn't take God seriously because His pronounced judgment didn't come immediately.  However, when you think about it, that's flawed thinking, comparable to saying that because my employer keeps rescheduling my business trip it will never happen.

     Of course, judgment isn't the only thing God is second-guessed about.  There are other things that people seem to think God's not being active about.  Take the Second Coming of Christ, for example.  We don't see it.  It's been predicted in Scripture, but every date set for it so far has been bogus.  Why?  Well, to begin with, the Bible never gave a date.  Those who believed they had the date were wrong to begin with for pretending they knew, since as Jesus put it, only God the Father knows when Jesus will return (Matthew 24:32-44).  Also, God does things on His own time.  Peter reminds us to keep waiting for Jesus' return in spite of an apparent delay.  He says:


     "Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder), that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior, knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.” For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water.  But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.  But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:1-9 NKJV)

     If God seems to be delaying, it's because He has His own perfect timing and wants to give people time to know Who He is.  His plans aren't cancelled.  He isn't senile.  He just knows what He's doing, while in all reality, we don't.

     So what's the big point?  First, God is faithful.  Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.  What He says will happen on His own time.  You simply keep following Him and believe what He says regardless of the world's opinions.  Second, God will keep His word.  The promises He's spoken over you are as solid as gold and thousands of billions of times stronger.  The only Person Who won't change His plans on you is God.  He's perfect, unchangeable, and wise, and He knows what He's planned for you.  That's why you can have childlike faith in an adult's world.

Guilt be Gone.

     There are few things that feel nicer than a clean conscience.  Of course, that can be rather difficult to obtain...








     All joking aside, it sometimes feels like guilt follows us around.  The most law-abiding, well-behaved, kindest person in the world still can have moments of uneasiness where they feel as if they've done something wrong, but can't nail what it is.  Why does our conscience appear to condemn us even when we haven't done anything?  Guilt can be a crushing load to carry, and sometimes it seems impossible to shake it off.  Why?

     It starts with the basic distinctions that people make between right and wrong.  People come with a list built in of what's good and what's not:



     Everyone's list may not look exactly the same, but there are a few basics at least that most people agree upon:

1. Show respect to others
2. Don't steal stuff
3. Don't poke people in the eye
4. Don't kill people
5. Don't cheat people

Even people who may do these things know it's wrong, maybe without knowing why they know it's wrong.

     Anyway, all arguments about relative morality and societal conditioning aside, the point is that everyone has a moral compass, and this isn't an accident, even if you've heard contrary.  In fact, it's given to us by God.  The Bible says in it's very first chapter that we are created in God's image, and when examining the Book of Exodus one finds a list of commandments that God distributed to Ancient Israel.  You've probably seen them.

     These established basic rules for the living of daily life in Israel, and were part of a law that showed Israel how to worship God.  That law clarified the differences between right and wrong.  However, the same moral codes shown in these laws apply not just to Israel then, but to everyone now.  This is where our moral compass comes in.  Perhaps without ever reading these, still we know that we've all done the wrong thing at one time or another.  Our moral compass is a reflection of what God has shown to be right and wrong, and after reading the short list above, it's certain that no one has done everything God commands.  As Romans 3:19-20 says:

     "Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God.  For by works of the law no human being will be justified in His sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin." (ESV)

     In other words, even a good person can't honestly claim to have done nothing wrong, and no one can claim to be good before God by their own deeds.  Incidentally, there's really no such thing as a "good person".  

     So the question is, where does that leave us?  If our guilt is justified because we've done things that we know are wrong, does that mean we have to live with that guilt forever and simultaneously be in a state of God's disapproval?  Does He look at us like this...

...constantly ready to condemn?

Absolutely not!

"But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus."  (ESV)

     What does this mean?  Essentially, it means that God provided a way for us to have a truly clean conscience, and a relationship with Him.  Although not one of us has lived perfectly, Jesus, the Son of God, made a great sacrifice in dying on the cross for our sins.  He had to endure the guilt of every man and woman alive then, today, and in the future.  If you believe in Your heart that He is the Son of God and that He died for you and that He rose from the dead on the third day, having washed away your sin, you can have His free gift of a guilt-free conscience before God and an eternity of life with Him after you die on Earth.  To read about His sacrifice you can click here.

     If you want to be guilt-free and have a relationship with the God Who loved you so that you can live with Him in heaven after you die here, you could say a prayer like this:

     Dear God, I know that my wrongs deserve punishment because I've disobeyed your supreme law.  I've fallen short of Your standards and don't deserve to be with You.  I believe, though, in Your Son Jesus, and in His sacrifice on the cross for me, that He died and that You raised Him from the dead three days afterwards so that He now sits at Your right hand having washed my sins away.  I confess You Jesus as the new Lord of my life and I ask that You would come into my heart.  Please take away my sins and give me a clean heart and a clean conscience.  In Jesus' Name, Amen.

     If you prayed that and meant it, congratulations!  You're clean before God and now have new, guilt-free life.  This doesn't mean guilt won't still come at times, but it does mean you can now overcome it in the power of the blood of Christ.

     Maybe you already have that power.  Maybe you accepted Christ long ago but still beat yourself up with guilt.  If that's the case, it's time to let it go.  God gave His Son so you could be free from sin and guilt.  Live in Christ's victory.  He took your guilt away, and you don't need to hold onto it anymore. Ask God to help you acknowledge His victory over your sin and to help you live in the grace He won for you.  Trust me, He will.

Childlike faith in an adult's world is free of guilt and free of charge.

That's a miracle, plain and simple.

(ESV Means English Standard Version)

"Peanuts", by Charles Schulz, accessed at http://www.readingreview.com/comics/pages_jpg/peanutsparade-17.jpg

"Dos and Don'ts", accessed at http://blog.omnipress.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/community-dos-donts.jpg

"Grumpy Judge" accessed at http://www.wordsfromtheherd.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/judge.jpg

The Ten Commandments- graphic originally from https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnGu238FH_MMSRnfUqUbakbNZsJyamB-U1NyJFzmYf1kJA_UDrZaBwUeGprQvWPpcs8xS9bozyOwA_uqf-hwuWfvB-W00PPQnqQHlJicAveaty53mwrNoaoJm_OG5R_BKL0EXnuNfJx6Q/s1600/tencommandments.gif and edited by I-BulldogStudios.  Based on Exodus 20.

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