Feeling Condenmation and Shame? You Have Two Invitations!

So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.

Ephesians 1:6-8 NLT

Have you ever fallen into a pit of condemnation and shame as the enemy reminds you of some of the worst things you’ve ever done in your life? Your mind knows Jesus has already forgiven you for those things, but your heart still feels guilty. The enemy reminds all of us at some point in our lives of the most shameful and disgusting things we’ve done. He wants us to fall into a pit of despair. But in reality, when we are reminded of some of the most shameful things we’ve done, we are actually receiving two invitations. One invitation is from the devil who does want us to fall into shame and condemnation. The second invitation is from the Lord, who when we are reminded of the worst, most disgusting things we’ve ever done, invites us to come to Him. He was with us when we did those disgusting things. He saw us. His heart was breaking for us. It wasn’t breaking because He was angry. It wasn’t breaking because He was disgusted. It was breaking because He wanted so much more for us. He wanted to set us free. His heart was breaking because He loves us.

When you feel that shame and condemnation, accept the Lord’s invitation and go to Him. Openly confess your sins. Yes, we’ve done it. We did – or wanted to do – those disgusting things. Open your heart to Jesus. He will lift your most disgusting actions off of you, and absorb them into the wounds that He suffered for your sins. He will forgive you. He will cleanse you. He will restore you. He will transform you. He will make you more and more like Him as you continue to keep your heart open to Him. Accept the Lord’s invitation for love and reject the enemy’s invitation for condemnation. Let Jesus set you free.

Jesus Forgives Abortion

“I tell you, her sins – and they are many – have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.” Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.” – Luke 7:47-48 NIV

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Are you surrounded by a dark cloud of condemnation because of something you’ve done? Do you hate yourself because of your past and feel like the shame of it will be on you forever? Luke 4 tells us the story of a sinful woman who crashed a dinner party given in Jesus’ honor. The woman wept as she anointed Jesus’ feet with her tears and a jar of expensive perfume. Surely the woman wasn’t clueless about the judgmental attitudes of the “spiritual” people at the party. Nevertheless, she threw herself at Jesus’ mercy. When Jesus noticed that some of the people there were getting an attitude that He was letting this sinful woman touch Him so intimately, He decided to show them how deep His forgiveness runs. The self-righteous people didn’t accept her, but Jesus did. In recognizing the severity of her sin, she was empowered to experience the depths of Jesus’ mercy. In experiencing the depths of His mercy, she was able to understand the fullness of His love.

One of the sins that causes the most shame is abortion. The shame and condemnation can be debilitating for the woman who had an abortion. Some women are coerced into having an abortion by abusive men who use violence and threats to force the woman to take the life of her own child. Sometimes family members pour shame upon an unwed mother. The woman, afraid of losing any shred of support, may agree to have an abortion rather than being abandoned by the few people in her life who feign acceptance as long as there is compliance. Some men were heartbroken as they stood opposed to the abortion, but powerless to stop it. Abortion is devastating. Truly it is a grievous sin, but we have a merciful Savior who allowed wicked, evil men to torture and kill Him so that he could take the punishment that we deserve for our sin. Jesus not only offers to take the punishment that we deserve, He offers to carry our devastation and grief. He died to set us free, cleanse us of our sins, and transform our hearts to become more like His. He offers to forgive us of much, so that we can be free to love and be loved much.

If you or someone you love is suffering from the heartache of abortion, Reconciliation Ministries is here for you. We have compassionate caregivers who can hear your heart and walk with you to Jesus. Call us at 586.739.5114. You can experience the deep forgiveness that Jesus has to offer and know the power of His deep love. You can read how Jesus touched Cassie’s heart and brought her healing from the devastation of two abortions by clicking here. Jesus offers hope and healing to everyone who comes to Him. Even you.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. - John 3:16 NIV

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I’m sure you’re very familiar with John 3:16. It was likely one of the first verses that you ever learned. It’s also a verse we need to be reminded of frequently. We might know this verse in our brains, but it’s important to know this verse in our hearts. God loves us. It doesn’t get am simpler than that. He also made a way for our salvation and transformation. These truths are among the important foundations of our faith. However, we are all very much a work in progress. We are constantly walking in the tension between who God declares that we are, and who we see when we look in the mirror. It is during our times of struggle that we need to remind ourselves of some of the basic foundations of our faith.

• 1 John 1:9 - If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

• Hebrews 4:15-16 - For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.  Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

• Philippians 1:6 - Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

May these verses penetrate your heart and transform the way you see yourself. God doesn’t identify us according to our past sin, or even our present failures. He sees us through the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ who lives in us. May that truth give us the grace to live according to our true identity in Christ.

Thank you for partnering with Reconciliation Ministries to help others experience the transformational power of Jesus Christ. No one is beyond the power of the cross. No sin is more powerful than the resurrection power of Jesus Christ. Your prayers and financial support help men, women, and adolescents find the love of Christ in their lowest moments of sin and abuse. You can change a life by making a tax-deductible donation to Reconciliation Ministries online at www.recmin.org/donate. You can make an eternal difference in the lives of others.