Thank you for watching. Please like the video to help promote it to more ears ❤. If you would like a list of commentaries, here's a link to my free Patreon post. www.patreon.com/posts/matthew-chapter-116182305?Link&
Listening the this reading reminded me of a devotional by a Jennifer Van Gordon, that I read a few days ago. I have copied and pasted an excerpt of her devotional. “Peter and Judas lingered in my mind. They had contrasting responses to Jesus during their greatest hours of need. Both of them suffered after their notorious sins of betraying Jesus. Peter, however, experienced true conviction. He grieved intensely. But he had witnessed Jesus extend mercy to sinners every day; ultimately, this enabled Peter to believe he could turn back to Jesus and receive the forgiveness he so desperately needed (John 21:16-19). Judas, on the other hand, seemingly kept his distance, staying on the fringes of Jesus’ ministry. Perhaps he maintained a more shallow relationship that prevented him from truly understanding Jesus’ merciful heart. He couldn’t fathom Jesus offering him forgiveness. Judas was consumed by his sin instead of his Savior. His relentless self-focus and agonizing guilt cost him his life (Matthew 27:3-5). Through Peter, we see that conviction leads us back to Jesus. It offers solutions that resonate in our hearts so we can take appropriate steps toward reconciliation and peace. Through Judas, we see that condemnation leads us away from Jesus, filling our minds with never-ending accusations and hopelessness. It offers no solutions and leads to nothing but despair. Learning to run to Jesus with our sins instead of away from Him takes time and much practice. Friend, Jesus knows everything anyway. We can trust His heart and believe there is no condemnation for those who belong to Him. This acrostic concerning G.U.I.L.T. comes to mind: Go Unhindered Into Love’s Truth If you have found yourself struggling with counterfeit guilt, I hope this will help you too.”
Beautiful Edna. Thank you ❤. At church today our Minster spoke of a field all dirty and I thought the less polite version a mound of dung. He then asked us to picture it after a heavy fall of snow. He likened it to Jesus covering us with His holiness to make us blameless before God. We were reading Ephesians 1-14. I also noted that Jesus prayed for Peter to be blessed with faith to carry him through his hour of complete and utter despair. He had what Judas didn't have, faith and despair out of true repentance. Not the same as guilt. There is a difference between guilt and repentance, maybe. Thank you for such an edifying comment, Edna ❤
@ Thank you for that clarity about guilt, despair and repentance. Maybe I should have included the entire devotion in its entirety. I thought the excerpt was relevant to today’s reading. For what it is worth, here is the top half of the devotion. “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus …” Romans 8:1 (NIV) Do you ever struggle with a guilty conscience? I’m not talking about conviction for sin but a more troubling form of guilt called “condemnation” - which is false guilt for believers in Jesus. Stored in our enemy’s toolbox, condemnation seeks to leave us, especially if we are “perfectionists,” in hopeless desperation even after we confess our sins. Guilt was a huge part of my religious upbringing. It seemed almost a requirement to me! When I learned about receiving conviction from the Holy Spirit versus condemnation, I was confused because they felt the same way. Friends would say I was being too hard on myself, reassuring me that sins confessed and repented of are sins forgiven. They told me to commit Romans 8:1 to memory: “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus …” But I still felt the weight of anxiety after repenting in prayer, so I began seeking the Lord, directly asking, What is the difference between condemnation and conviction? Glad you liked it. 👍❤️🙏
@@EdnaNord Yes, I was sleeping soundly as you added part two. Thank you Edna. A very timely and welcome reminder. I hope others will find your comments here 🥰
Thank you for watching. Please like the video to help promote it to more ears ❤. If you would like a list of commentaries, here's a link to my free Patreon post. www.patreon.com/posts/matthew-chapter-116182305?Link&
Listening the this reading reminded me of a devotional by a Jennifer Van Gordon, that I read a few days ago. I have copied and pasted an excerpt of her devotional. “Peter and Judas lingered in my mind. They had contrasting responses to Jesus during their greatest hours of need. Both of them suffered after their notorious sins of betraying Jesus. Peter, however, experienced true conviction. He grieved intensely. But he had witnessed Jesus extend mercy to sinners every day; ultimately, this enabled Peter to believe he could turn back to Jesus and receive the forgiveness he so desperately needed (John 21:16-19).
Judas, on the other hand, seemingly kept his distance, staying on the fringes of Jesus’ ministry. Perhaps he maintained a more shallow relationship that prevented him from truly understanding Jesus’ merciful heart. He couldn’t fathom Jesus offering him forgiveness. Judas was consumed by his sin instead of his Savior. His relentless self-focus and agonizing guilt cost him his life (Matthew 27:3-5).
Through Peter, we see that conviction leads us back to Jesus. It offers solutions that resonate in our hearts so we can take appropriate steps toward reconciliation and peace.
Through Judas, we see that condemnation leads us away from Jesus, filling our minds with never-ending accusations and hopelessness. It offers no solutions and leads to nothing but despair.
Learning to run to Jesus with our sins instead of away from Him takes time and much practice. Friend, Jesus knows everything anyway. We can trust His heart and believe there is no condemnation for those who belong to Him.
This acrostic concerning G.U.I.L.T. comes to mind:
Go
Unhindered
Into
Love’s
Truth
If you have found yourself struggling with counterfeit guilt, I hope this will help you too.”
Beautiful Edna. Thank you ❤. At church today our Minster spoke of a field all dirty and I thought the less polite version a mound of dung. He then asked us to picture it after a heavy fall of snow. He likened it to Jesus covering us with His holiness to make us blameless before God. We were reading Ephesians 1-14. I also noted that Jesus prayed for Peter to be blessed with faith to carry him through his hour of complete and utter despair. He had what Judas didn't have, faith and despair out of true repentance. Not the same as guilt. There is a difference between guilt and repentance, maybe. Thank you for such an edifying comment, Edna ❤
@ Thank you for that clarity about guilt, despair and repentance. Maybe I should have included the entire devotion in its entirety. I thought the excerpt was relevant to today’s reading. For what it is worth, here is the top half of the devotion.
“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus …”
Romans 8:1 (NIV)
Do you ever struggle with a guilty conscience? I’m not talking about conviction for sin but a more troubling form of guilt called “condemnation” - which is false guilt for believers in Jesus.
Stored in our enemy’s toolbox, condemnation seeks to leave us, especially if we are “perfectionists,” in hopeless desperation even after we confess our sins.
Guilt was a huge part of my religious upbringing. It seemed almost a requirement to me! When I learned about receiving conviction from the Holy Spirit versus condemnation, I was confused because they felt the same way.
Friends would say I was being too hard on myself, reassuring me that sins confessed and repented of are sins forgiven. They told me to commit Romans 8:1 to memory: “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus …”
But I still felt the weight of anxiety after repenting in prayer, so I began seeking the Lord, directly asking, What is the difference between condemnation and conviction? Glad you liked it. 👍❤️🙏
@@Denise_CircularGrace p.s. It must be near midnight in your neck of the woods. Time for bed.🥱Sweet dreams.🥰
@@EdnaNord Yes, I was sleeping soundly as you added part two. Thank you Edna. A very timely and welcome reminder. I hope others will find your comments here 🥰