Let’s be real, we all accumulate baggage on our journeys. We load up with shortcomings, regrets, and sins. So how do we resolve these issues so that we can live free in the here and now?

Sins. Who hasn’t mistreated, neglected, or spoken unkindly about another? Who hasn’t disobeyed God’s will in some area? I’ve sinned in countless ways – coveting, lying, stealing, cheating, just to name a few. How about you? Guilt can plague us, especially when we’re sick, but there is relief. We can take on the righteousness of Another.

The great apostle Paul sought to be righteous, but surprisingly, not by doing good works. “Not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith” (Philippians 3:9). John tells us to simply admit and confess our sins and by faith receive our Advocate’s forgiveness and righteousness. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:9). Good riddance to guilt!

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Regrets.  We may be confident of God’s forgiveness, but have we forgiven ourselves? We’ve all blown it; we’ve all done foolish things, but punishing ourselves accomplishes nothing. Jeremiah 31:34 says about His forgiveness, “For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.” We should forget our sins too! “But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead” (Philippians 3:13). Don’t hold yourself to a higher standard than God’s; that’s just pride.

Shortcomings. We’ve all been let down by people, but arguably the greatest let downs are self-delivered. Part of being emotionally and spiritually healthy, however, is to come to grips with our own limitations. After doctors told me I had days to live in 2003, I fell into a deep pit of disappointment. I was grieved I had not accomplished more in my 44 years. I had big goals and had fallen short.

Goals are good, but chastising yourself for missing them is bad. The root of this unfortunate tendency was my prideful perfectionism. Paul addresses this as well, “Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:12-14). I just need to be faithful to the goals of Jesus Christ.Your past, my past… let’s not dwell there. Forget about it. This is God’s liberating advice.

Lord, help us resolve these issues Your way!

But this is not how God deals with those who have received the Savior, Jesus Christ! This is the reason Christ came to earth: to TAKE AWAY our sin and punishment so that we could “walk”! Isaiah 53:5-6 puts it like this:

But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities. The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way, but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him.

In the American justice system, Presidents can “pardon” those accused of crimes. They can release criminals from prison, and even clear their records, as if they had never done anything wrong. This is what God does for us in Christ. Both Paul the Apostle and King David were murderers, yet God pardoned them and cleared their records. They rejoiced in the awesome blessing of being released from punishment for their sins. Here are two more powerful promises of His mercy and forgiveness:

I will cleanse them from all their iniquity by which they have sinned against Me, and I will pardon all their iniquities by which they have sinned against Me and by which they have transgressed against Me (Jeremiah 33:8).

Find out more about receiving God’s plan of salvation here.

For verification on this important matter, we consult a letter of Paul the apostle, and a Psalm of King David. These two men were especially anointed by God to speak on His behalf. They both testified that God does not punish us for sins that He has forgiven. In Romans 4:7-8, Paul quotes David’s Psalm 32:1-2, “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven, and whose sins have been covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not take into account.”

We suspect Paul and David were both relieved to experience God’s gracious forgiveness, because BOTH MEN WERE MURDERERS! As such, they would have been prime candidates for being punished by God through cancer or some other severe punishment. Yet both appear to have lived cancer free lives. Think about it – how blessed we are when the Lord passes over our sin!

Check back next week for more on God’s amazing forgiveness.

I’ve had some blogger’s block recently. I think I’ve been resisting writing on a topic I’m “supposed” to discuss, but I’d rather avoid. I am not afraid of controversy. I’ll mix it up when necessary, but just mentioning this issue may be painful to some who are suffering. You’ll understand what I mean.

First, some background. After one of my blog entries, “Getting What you Deserve,” I received a comment that basically said some doctors and a pastor were researching the connection between cancer and bitterness. The “evidence” presented was that bitterness  almost always caused cancer in certain areas of the body, all directly related to the target of the person’s bitterness. Normally I would write off such a quacky and cruel notion, but I recently encountered this concept again in another variation, so I feel compelled to address it here. I’ll stick with God’s “research.” It’s conveniently packaged in the Bible.

Let’s start with Job (his story is found in the book of Job in the Old Testament). Though his life was examined with great scrutiny by demons and the Divine, the Lord declared him righteous. So why then did Job soon find himself battling a severe skin condition that covered him with painful boils? It’s undeniable – Job’s poor health had no connection with bitterness or secret sin. For days his friends displayed mock compassion by sitting silently with him, ostensibly to “earn the right” to rip him to pieces. They ultimately revealed their judgmental hearts by accusing him of secret sins. They begged him to open his eyes. God was surely punishing him for something. In the end, God rebuked those “friends” for their uninformed cruelty. Job’s story should forever cause us to withhold spoken or unspoken accusations on the roots of others suffering. Yet there’s more…

Judgmental thinking about the exact roots of sickness was pervasive in Jesus’ day as well. The gospel of John reveals how Jesus corrected this tendency to view suffering as retribution.

John 9:1-3  – As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him.

Amazingly, this question was not posed by a pagan crowd or the judgmental Pharisees, but by Jesus’ loyal followers. This shows how deeply ingrained this teaching was in the minds of even the “spiritual” folks. To them, blindness was a direct punishment for sin – case closed. The only question was whose sin was being punished. Since this man had been blind from birth, the disciples wondered if perhaps one could sin in the womb. If pre-birth sin was ruled out, they reasoned the man’s parents must have sinned and were being punished. Jesus turns the whole argument on its head by stating that this blindness was not a punishment at all, but rather an opportunity for God to show off His glory. More still…

The apostle, Paul, had a serious eye condition that apparently necessitated seeking treatment in Galatia.  Bible students might believe Paul traveled there to plant a church, but that was not at all Paul’s initial intent.

Galatians 4:13-15 – But you know that it was because of a bodily illness that I preached the gospel to you the first time; and that which was a trial to you in my bodily condition you did not despise or loathe, but you received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus Himself.  Where then is that sense of blessing you had? For I bear you witness that, if possible, you would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me.

Fortunately for the Galatians, they did not assume Paul’s illness was a punishment for sin. Had they judged and resisted him, they would have missed their opportunity to embrace Paul and his eternal message of the grace and love of Jesus Christ. There’s more, but for another blog post.

I am a huge fan of letting go of bitterness, and turning from secret sin. We should always examine our lives and deal with sin, whether we’re sick or healthy. But please beware of linking other people’s sickness to their sin. God has demonstrated that He uses sickness to forge relationships and to show off His glory! Leave judgments to Him. If God’s policy was to punish all sin with sickness, we’d all live in a hospital!

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB(c).

At some point during the TV show, Extreme Makeover, Homeowner Edition, my wife, Terri, will look over at me and ask, “Are you crying?” No! Must be something in my eye. I honestly think it is difficult not to cry. The show typically highlights the rough living conditions of a selfless individual who takes care of the sick, infirmed or bereaved, while simultaneously caring for their own large families. So the cast and volunteers tear down the old home and build a customized mansion for the grateful family. If that doesn’t tug at your heartstrings, then… go watch your Simpsons. There is one recurring scene in the show, however, that always makes me cringe. The bullhorn guy, Ty, explains that the reason the family is getting this royal treatment is because they deserve it.

Attitudes haven’t changed much in two thousand years. Jesus’ disciples informed Him that a Roman centurion, whose slave was very ill, deserved to be healed (Luke 7:1-10). The man had evidently been kind to Israel by building their house of worship — in the Temple Edition of Extreme Makeover. When Jesus wanted to visit the slave at his home, the centurion refused because he was “unworthy”. So Jesus healed his slave from a distance and marveled aloud at his faith, “I have not seen such great faith even in all of Israel.” Apparently, great faith entails a humility that we don’t deserve anything from God. We don’t deserve that He should enter our homes, let alone bless us there or give us a new one! I don’t want to treat the Lord like He is my cosmic bell hop. I need to learn that God “owes” me absolutely nothing. In fact, because of my countless sins, all I really deserve is eternal punishment. Are you getting what you deserve in life? Hope not.