The Vine The Faith Flash Are you receiving our email newslet- ter, The Faith Flash? The Faith Flash comes out weekly with timely information and re- minders. Sign up today by going to our website (www.faithanglican church.org ), or calling the church office (755-4848). OUR VISION: A Christ Centered Com- munity Growing in Faith. OUR PURPOSE: The purpose of Faith Anglican Church is to proclaim the Good News, make disciples, and serve our neighbors. OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES: We equip lay people for ministry We provide biblically centered instruction We minister to people where they are We welcome all God’s children We are theologically traditional We provide meaningful worship services We lead others to Christ. AUGUST 2015 Jesus said, “ I am the vine; you are the branches.. .” John 15:5 Good Guilt, Bad Guilt, What’s the Difference? Years ago I read an article in Time or Newsweek entitled something like What- ever Happened to Guilt? This secular arti- cle advocated for the need for guilt and shame in our culture. The reason this arti- cle was so shocking is that throughout our culture we want others to feel guilty when they offend us, but we don’t want guilt or shame to touch us. None of us like guilt. Often we try to alleviate ourselves of guilt by either avoiding the behavior that leads to guilt or by denying our guilt. Yes, I would encourage avoiding sin! Humble holiness is a very very good thing. How- ever, sometimes trying to avoid guilt leads to a judgmental perfectionism, which avoids guilt, but at the expense of others. The truth is all of us experience guilt. Some of this guilt is good and some is bad. Good guilt comes from the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Bad guilt comes from the condemnation of the enemy. Good guilt we should embrace. Bad guilt we should reject. So, how can you tell the difference? Good Guilt When you sin (unless you have a seared conscience), you feel guilt. As Jesus said, “when [the Holy Spirit] comes, he will convict the world concerning sin…” (John 16:8). Guilt is a very very good thing, for when you feel convicted of your sins, it may lead to confession, for- giveness and restoration. If you deny the guilt you feel, you remain in your sins, which leads to a type of death. As the Apostle James said: “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death” (James 1:14-15). If you repeat the same sin over and over again, eventually your conscience will become seared (1 Timothy 4:2) and you’ll no longer see your sin as sin – a dan- gerous place to be. The Apostle Paul re- minds us in 1 Corinthians 11, to examine ourselves before coming to the Lord’s Sup- per, for those who don’t become, “weak and ill, and some have died” (1 Corinthians 11:30). So what should you do with the good guilt you experience? The Apostle John has the answer: “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1). Bad Guilt What about bad guilt? Sometimes people feel paralyzed from past sins. They may have even confessed these sins over and over again, yet feel no relief. This is bad guilt, also known as condemnation. Con- demnation does not come from the Holy Spirit; it comes from Satan. Satan’s pur- pose is to immobilize you and make you useless. His usual lies include: You’re worthless, dirty, stained, unredeemable. You’ll never amount to anything. God could never love you. God could never use you. I’m sure Satan tried these lies on King David after he committed adultery and then murder. If it had been you, I’m sure you’d have felt horrible! Yet what did David say in Psalm 51? “Wash me thor- oughly from my iniquity … Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. … Then I will teach transgres- sors your ways, and sinners will return to you”. (Ps 51:2, 10, & 13). As guilty as David had been, God restored him to be useful for His Kingdom! How might you get rid of the bad guilt? 1. The Apostle James reminds us to “confess our sins one to another.” (James 5:16). 2. When your mind is assaulted with your old sins, say, “I’m not listening!” Remind the enemy that you have been forgiven.
4
Embed
Jesus said, “I am the vine; AUGUST 2015 The Vine John 15:5s3.amazonaws.com/churchplantmedia-cms/faith... · News, make disciples, and serve our ... We minister to people where they
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Transcript
The Vine
The Faith Flash
Are you receiving
our email newslet-
ter, The Faith
Flash? The Faith
Flash comes out
weekly with timely
information and re-
minders. Sign up
today by going to
o u r w e b s i t e
(www.faithanglican
church.org), or
calling the church
office (755-4848).
OUR VISION:
A Christ Centered Com-
munity
Growing in Faith.
OUR PURPOSE:
The purpose of Faith
Anglican Church is to
proclaim the Good
News, make disciples,
and serve our
neighbors.
OUR GUIDING
PRINCIPLES:
We equip lay people for
ministry
We provide biblically
centered instruction
We minister to people
where they are
We welcome all God’s
children
We are theologically
traditional
We provide meaningful
worship services
We lead others to
Christ.
AUGUST 2015
Jesus said, “ I am the vine; you are the branches.. .”