The Unholy Trinity-Part 3

"Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as He was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord called to the man, "Where are you?" He answered, "I heard You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid." (Genesis 3:8-10)


We have all made poor choices in our lives. It's part of our human nature to ignore advice or warnings not to engage in a particular behavior. We see evidence of this ignorance from childhood. Children tend to push the limits of their autonomy despite parent's efforts to protect them from the consequences of their poor choices. Over time as we mature the reality of our poor choices can result in outcomes that negatively impact ourselves and others. This is when the third member of the "unholy trinity", Guilt does its best work. If Fear serves up the cake and Shame adds the icing, Guilt  places the cherry on top. Guilt declares that you have done something wrong and never lets you forget it! Guilt delights in reminding you about mistakes that have been made as far back as you can remember. Many of us carry uneccesary guilt from childhood or adolescence and hold on to it into our adult lives. Moreover, guilt can torture our hearts and minds with something that we have done which resulted in another person experiencing emotional pain. 

HIDING OUT

What is our reaction to guilt's condemnation? The same reaction as that of Adam and Eve after they sinned in the Garden of Eden. "I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid." (Genesis 3:10) Guilt sends us into hiding. We want to hide our mistakes and cover up disclosure of our poor choices. We want to avoid people who have been emotionally wounded through our careless words or actions. We feel we are doomed to forever carry the weight of guilt for the rest of our lives. However, like fear and shame we can let go of guilt through turning to God's word. Romans 8:1-4 states, "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so He condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit." (NIV)  Guilt slams its gavel down on the bench of your past mistakes and screams "guilty as charged!" Jesus Christ is our defense and declares, "Set free!" because He is God's response to guilt's condemnation. The "unholy trinity" as mentioned in the previous two parts of this series is constantly sending out invitations to draw us into a party of false claims and lies. 

THE VOICE OF THE SHEPHERD

Our response to guilt needs to be the same as that towards fear and shame, "Don't listen and don't go to the party!" The only voice we need to hear is that of our Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ, who states, "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of My hand." (John 10:27-28 NIV) We can release the weight of guilt that we carry and rest in the assurance of God's promises. "Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, His body, and since we have a Great Priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful." (Hebrews 10:19-23 NIV) My encouragement to you is to leave the "unholy trinity" behind and walk with confidence by faith alongside the Holy Trinity, (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) who will lead you and guide you into all truth.
Glory to God!
Pastor Sheree