via TJC
“But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.”
—Isaiah 53:5
I was recently reminded of a sin I committed a long time ago. A sin I was deeply ashamed of…
The ensuing weeks were shadowed by a constant guilt everywhere I went. I felt like a phony at church. I felt like my Brothers in Christ had never known the true me. I felt like God was furious at how I could have forgotten about this egregious action I committed. After almost a month in spiritual wilderness, the Holy Spirit spoke to me: “Pick up the phone and confess.” I called my closest ally to tell him what happened. The first words out of his mouth were, “I am proud of you.” I burst into tears. I could not believe he could still accept me as a friend. But what he said next cut even deeper, “Jesus paid for that sin.”
That immensely heavy burden I carried on my shoulders had suddenly vanished. What Satan had used to pry me away from my Loving Father was used to pull me even closer.
The scar I wear from that guilt is one I can point to proudly today and say, “Jesus healed this.”
Daily Battle Order:
What are you guilty of today? Give that guilt to Christ in prayer.
If you cannot think of anything specific, ask yourself this: How many sins have you committed over the course of your entire life?
After you’ve given up counting, flip over to Isaiah 53 to take in the weight of the Gospel.
A powerful story!