THE DITCH OF GUILT
When I was in college and new in my faith, a young lady friend kept using a phrase about our relationship with God. She’d talk about being “under grace,” and I had no idea what she meant. She explained grace means God gives us not what we deserve, but forgiveness and blessing instead. Under grace, His many gifts and promises are given unconditionally and made possible by the work of Jesus on the cross for us. Grace is an entirely different operating system and the only system which grants us access to God. Over the years, I’ve grown in grace for everyday life, due in part to my young lady friend, whom by grace I now call my wife, Terri.
The concept of grace was so helpful in the greatest storm of our lives when Stage IV metastatic melanoma cancer wracked my body 17 years ago. We identified two large ditches lining the road of our cancer battle. Next time, I’ll discuss the 2nd ditch – Self-righteousness. The 1st ditch is Guilt, a relentless and merciless master which presents in several forms or “voices.” Consider two voices that if received, will land us in the ditch of guilt, and how to pull out of each ditch.
1) “Sickness and cancer are always due to some attitude, behavior or lifestyle I practiced.”
God blew up any airtight connections between sickness and sin in the Book of Job. God rebuked Job’s friends who blamed Job for his troubles, which included a horrific skin disease which tormented his body. God made it clear the sickness was not a punishment on Job.
Jesus’ disciples were operating in the ditch of guilt and punishment, when they asked Him if a man born blind had sinned or his parents. They evidently had no 3rd category which Jesus revealed, “God allowed this blindness for the glory of God,” and Jesus promptly healed the man (John 9).
These Old and New Testament examples teach me to run from judgment about the exact roots of mine or another’s sickness.
2) “I did something horrible in my past, and God is punishing me with this cancer or sickness.”
If God punished sin with sickness, we’d all be in the hospital! See my past blog dedicated to this issue. We’ve all sinned in the past, and if we’re honest, we continue to sin. Why would God arbitrarily punish some folks sin with sickness and not others?
In addition, don’t forget that “good things happen to bad people.” In Psalm 73:3-5, Asaph says from the thralls of the ditch of guilt and the ditch of self-righteousness,
“For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. They are free from common human burdens; they are not plagued by human ills.”
If God punishes sin with sickness or cancer, surely the wicked would be first to be diagnosed!
Embrace the fact that for those who believe on Jesus as Savior, God put His punishment for our sin on Jesus Christ on the cross. The penalty and wages of sin is not sickness, it is much greater – spiritual and eternal separation from God. We cannot work off our sin through suffering. The GREAT news is Jesus worked it off for us!
Let’s stay on the Grace Road and out of the guilt ditch!
“For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified” – Hebrews 10:14.
Copyright © 2019. All rights reserved by Joe & Terri Fornear.
Scripture quotations from the NASB.
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*Do you know “The Two Ways to Get to Heaven“?
*¿Tu sabes “Dos Maneras de Ir al Cielo“?
