Hope Beyond Guilt

THIS PASSAGE PAINTS SEVERAL BEAUTIFUL WORD PICTURES OF THE DELIGHT THAT GOD TAKES IN HIS CHILDREN. I WANT TO SHARE FOUR OF THEM WITH YOU TODAY.

POINT ONE: WE ARE LIVING STONES IN A SPIRITUAL HOUSE:

WHEN SOLOMON’S TEMPLE WAS BEING BUILT ALL OF THE ROCKS WERE QUARRIED OFF THE SITE AND BROUGHT TO THE BUILDING SITE. PETER IS USING THE MEAPHOR OF THE BUILDING TO INDICATE HOW PRECIOUS WE ARE TO GOD.

EACH TIME A PERSON BECOMES A BORN-AGAIN CHRISTIAN IT’S ANOTHER STONE THAT IS QUARRIED OUT OF THE PIT OF SIN AND CAREFULLY FITTED INTO THE SPIRITUAL HOME THAT GOD IS BUILDING.

GOD HAS QUARRIED YOU OUT OF THE GROSS PIT OF YOUR SIN. HE HAS MOLDED YOU TO FIT A PRECISE PLACE IN HIS HOME, A PLACE THAT ONLY YOU CAN FIT INTO. HE WILL NOT LEAVE YOU ALONE. HE IS THE CORNERSTONE, THE FOUNDATION STONE FOR HIS KINGDOM. YOU CAN LEAN UPON HIM, DEPEND ON HIM.

GOD IS THE MASTER ARCHITECT AND EVERY STONE IS BEING PLACED PRECISELY WHERE IT WAS DESIGNED FOR, AND AT THE PROPER TIME. YOU AND I WERE NOT PLACED IN CAMPBELLTON AND AT THIS TIME JUST BY ACCIDENT, BUT ACCORDING TO THE SOVEREIGN PLAN OF GOD, AND HIS PLAN IS RIGHT ON SCHEDULE.

POINT TWO: WE ARE PRIESTS IN THE SAME TEMPLE:

PETER REFERS TO US AS A HOLY AND ROYAL PRIESTHOOD. THIS MEANS THAT FROM THE TIME WE ACCEPTED CHRIST WE HAVE BEEN SET ASIDE FOR A PURPOSE. WE ARE ALL PRIESTS BELONGING TO A KINGLY ORDER AND SET APART FOR SERVICE TO GOD.

AS PRIESTS WE ARE CALLED TO OFFER UP PRAYERS, BRING SPIRITUAL SACRIFICES, INTERCEDE TO GOD ON BEHALF OF OTHERS, AND STAY IN TUNE TO THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF LIFE.

WHEN WE CONSIDER THIS WE CAN REALIZE THAT THERE IS NO PLACE IN OUR CHRISTIAN WALK FOR GUILT EITHER SELF-IMPOSED OR IMPOSED ON US BY OTHERS.

REMEMBER GUILT IS A SATAN DRIVEN FORCE. HE CAN USE OTHERS TO APPLY IT, OR HE CAN USE US PERSONALLY TO TRY TO ACCOMPLISH HIS TASK. IT IS TRUE THAT WE ARE OUR OWN WORSE ENEMIES AT TIMES.

SATAN CAN MANIPULATE ANY SITUATION WITH THOUGHTS LIKE:

I COULD HAVE DONE BETTER

ITS YOUR FAULT THAT SOMETHING HAPPENED

I LET YOU DOWN

AND THERE ARE MANY OTHERS.

HE WILL ATTACK OUR CHARACTER

HE WILL ATTACK US WITH OUR EMOTIONS. I MUST BE GUILTY OF SOMETHING. I WOULDN’T FEEL THIS BAD IF I WASN’T GUILTY OF SOMETHING IN THE SITUATION.

IN MOMENTS OF SELF-REFLECTION WE MIGHT FIND ASPECTS OF A SITUATION WE MIGHT DO DIFFERENTLY, BUT THESE ARE NOT TO BE USED TO PROVIDE GUILT, BUT RATHER AS HELP FOR THE FUTURE.

SATAN PLAYS ON A MISCONCEPTION THAT IS IN THE WORLD TODAY. WE SEE FEELING SAD AS SOMETHING NEGATIVE. WE DON’T LIKE FEELING THIS WAY, WE TRY TO AVOID IT, AND WE TRY TO GET OVER IT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

THERE ARE TIMES THOUGH WHEN FEELINGS OF SADNESS, FEELINGS OF ANGER AND DISAPPOINTMENT, ARE PERFECTLY NATURAL. WE SHOULD BE SAD WHEN DEALING WITH CLOSING ASPECTS OF OUR LIFE. IT COULD BE THROUGH DEATH, PERHAPS ITS MOVING TO ANOTHER COMMUNITY, IT COULD BE MOVING OUT OF THE HOUSE YOU HAVE OWNED FOR DECADES BUT FIND YOU CANNOT KEEP UP WITH THE WORK OF IT BECAUSE OF HEALTH ISSUES. FEELING SAD DOES NOT NEGATE THE REALITY OF THE SCRIPTURES, AND WHAT THE SCRIPTURES SAY CAN HELP US DEAL WITH THAT EMOTION.