Forgiveness Means No Guilt, No Shame, No Regrets
By Rick Warren
“My heart rejoices in your salvation” (Psalms 13:5b NIV).
If you’re a follower of Jesus, joy should be a way of life.
Why? You’ve been completely forgiven—no guilt, no shame, no remorse, and no regrets. God has wiped them all out.
Sounds like a good reason for joy to me.
The Bible says, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1 NIV).
The word “no” in the original Greek is the strongest possible negative in the Greek. It’s as if God was saying, “No, no, no — not in a thousand years, not in a million years, not a chance in your lifetime.”
That’s important because one of the biggest reasons people lose their joy is guilt. Guilt and shame have the power to steal your joy.
All of us make mistakes. We have legitimate reasons to feel regret and guilt. But God doesn’t want us to live in constant self-condemnation, constantly telling ourselves, “I should be better,” “I should be different,” etc.
How does God want you to handle your guilt? By coming clean and confessing your wrong. Go to God and say, “I’m sorry. Please forgive me.” And then he’ll wipe away your sin.
That’s why Jesus Christ died on the cross! And he didn’t just die for the sins you’ve already committed. He died for the ones you haven’t even committed yet. They’re all covered under the cross.
Jesus took your condemnation. That’s why he died. Your sins have been paid for. You don’t have to pay for them again.
That’s salvation, and it’s your most important reason for joy. It’s the joy of a clear conscience.
PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>
Talk It Over
What’s one step you can take to make confession a daily practice?
How do you feel when you embrace the truth God has completely and totally forgiven you?
Who will you tell this week about the complete and total forgiveness of God?
For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit pastorrick.com!
Put Jesus at the center of your Christmas!
Many people step into the Christmas season run down and worn out. And by the time January rolls around, they’re so exhausted that they’ve completely missed the real reason for the season.
But there’s really no better time to recalibrate your heart toward Jesus than during the holidays. And Pastor Rick Warren’s book, The Purpose of Christmas, can help you fill your Christmas with more of God’s love and peace by making Christ the center of your life.
This resource shows you . . .
• What Christmas means for your salvation
• How to surrender to God’s will
• Practical steps to overcome discouragement
• Why we celebrate Christmas at all
• How Christmas can be a time to make peace with others
The Purpose of Christmas is our way to thank you for your gift below to help more people learn, love, and live the Word – so request your copy when you give!
From all of us at Daily Hope, may you experience God’s peace and joy this holiday season!
This devotional © 2017 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
You can listen to Rick Warren on OnePlace.com.
