Bradlee, God Does Not Lay A Guilt Trip On People, He Is A Forgiving God! Let Me Remind You That The Lord Is Not The Guilty One…
“The idea that God will pardon a rebel who hasn’t given up his rebellion is contrary both to Scripture and to common sense.” – AW Tozer.
This last week, while in Florida doing what we as a ministry always do in reaching out to the lost (Luke 19:10), I was having a conversation with a friend who had said in passing (and yes, it was aimed at me), “God does not guilt people into serving Him, and He is a forgiving God.”
I pondered this all week, not that I did not have the scriptural answer to give him, but I wanted to break it down so that he and others could understand their errors.
First off:
“Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.” -Romans 3:19
It sounds like my friend did not understand that his mouth was to be stopped before a just and holy God concerning his transgressions before Him.
Secondly, and from his conversation, I could see that he has not repented. Yet, he wanted to throw his guilt on God (and me) and claim that without repenting of his sin, the Lord would offer him forgiveness. Ridiculous.
When we look at John 3:16-21, it reads:
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved. He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.”
So, what we find here is that guilt and condemnation (Romans 8:1-2) are found to be within those who love the darkness (their sins) rather than the Light (Jesus). THEY ARE GUILTY AND THEY HAVE FAILED TO REPENT.
Furthermore, the Lord does not need to repent, we do! Again, it is on those who hold to their iniquity, the ones who are guilty of transgressing His Law that need to repent (Numbers 23:19; 1 Timothy 1:8-10; John 3:4).
On a personal note, I thank God for the Holy Ghost that brought the conviction of sin (with the Law in the hand of Christ – Mark 10:17; John 8; Galatians 3:24). Of course, this was to work godly repentance (2 Corinthians 7:10-11), for when I saw Jesus on that cross and what He did for me by taking my lawless deeds upon Himself and saw that I was the guilty one, only then did I realize God’s love and mercy when looking to His Son as the propitiation upon the cross dying and being judged in my stead (1 John 2:2).
This is what the Lord used to bring about godly repentance (Acts 20:21). How grateful I am (Luke 7:47). Here we have the King dying for the criminal.
“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” -Isaiah 53:6
Again, it was my sins and transgressions that put Him on that cross, and it was the Father who put His Son to die in my place. When I repented and put on Christ by faith and trusted in Him, all that guilt and condemnation was washed away in His blood (Romans 8:1-2; Revelation 1:5).
Let me end this article with a commonsense question.
What do you think of a people who reject this loving and merciful God?
This Just and Holy Judge is ready to forgive offenders, to forgive the transgressors in redeeming them through the blood and sacrifice of His Son (Hebrews 9:22).
Friends, the price has been paid in full on your behalf through Christ’s redemption (1 Corinthians 6:20).
God does not create us so that He can punish us. He laid our punishment upon Jesus on the cross.
He created you for His glory (Matthew 5:16) to offer you life, and life more abundantly. Read the end portion of John 10:10.
Is this putting men on a guilt trip to tell them that they have offended a Holy God, especially when the Lord offered up His only Son to redeem them back unto Him? No, it is not. It is abounding love in action (1 John 3:18).
The guilty one is the man or woman who refuses to repent and holds on to their sins that put Christ on the cross.
They are the ones who have refused the gift of sacrifice and love given on their behalf.
Article posted with permission from Sons of Liberty Media