Innocent!

"So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus."

- St. Paul, Romans 8:1

"The good Lord is more eager to pardon a  repentant sinner than a mother to rescue her child from a fire."

- An Old Saint

One thing I have learned over the past 40 years is this: the Jesus of my journey will never say to me, "Harry, you were too confident… you confided in Me too much… you trusted Me beyond reasonable limits… you hoped too much in Me!"  Friends, the death of Jesus Christ on the Cross on Good Friday and His glorious breakthrough to New Life on Easter morning are not merely historical fact… they are a summoning… an empowering to live a life of unwavering confidence in the grace of God over all the sins of our past… of our present… of our future! This is the confidence that leads to Love… to Life… to Laughter!

The Apostle Paul declares in Romans 8:1 that when you hand Jesus your sins… on that cross… in exchange, He hands you, "No condemnation". None… zero… not even the slightest, tiniest crumb of condemnation… ever! Listen… the Good News of the Resurrection is way stronger than the Bad News in your life today!

No matter how deep your shame...

God's mercy is deeper still.

No matter how heavy your guilt...

God's grace is stronger still.

No matter how great your failure...

God's forgiveness is greater still.

Several years ago, I was heading home to North County from Mission Valley. I was in a hurry. I was traveling up Hwy 163, approaching Miramar, when I see flashing blue lights in my rear view mirror. "Oh Man! Busted!" Immediately, I slowed down and as the police car came up behind me, I actually started to pull over… when suddenly he races by me and nabs the guy in front of me! "Yes! Yes! Praise Jesus!," I shouted as I drove past the loser - I mean - the poor guy who got nailed.

There are few things sweeter than being given a "Get Out of Jail Free" card when you know you were guilty. In another passage, Paul said,

"For God has made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him."

- 2 Corinthians 5:21

On the cross, Jesus journeyed to the far dark reaches of our sin so He, who had no sin, could stand with us in our sin and rob it of its killing power by taking it into the grave.

Jesus knows how shame and guilt and regret can rob your life of all joy. That's why He died to declare you… Innocent!

Pastor Harry

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