Guilty?

Many people think of God as a bean counter. If I give a bottle of water to a homeless person, if I sent put out some food for the annual US Post Office employee food drive, if I visit a friend the hospital, God is putting a mark on his scorecard. We even have a saying in our culture about this,  “You should get another star in your crown in heaven for that.” According the to Good News of the Gospel, nothing could be further from the truth. God is not counting our kindnesses. In fact, God is counting on Jesus not on us . Here is what St. Paul says about this:

“When people work, their wages are not a gift, but something they have earned. But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners” (Romans 4:4-5).

“Counted as righteous” is a legal term that says God has wiped our slate clean. We are forgiven!

It has been noted that guilt is one of the biggest mental health issues of our time. Guilt can make us mentally ill. The antidote to guilt is forgiveness.  Dr.Frederic Luskin has researched the power of forgiveness. Forgiveness sets us free.

I invite you to receive God’s gift of forgiveness.

Ronald Friesen © 2105