Christian Living

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Larry Lilly's Letter Monday July 21, 2008

As a country preacher I invest a fair amount of time trying to help people who feel as though they are buried under a mountain of guilt. In some cases they are, as guilt has accumulated over many years, and with others, a mean, spiteful act has burned its price into their mind and heart and they simply cannot discover the how of getting rid of the guilt.

Men and women, even children, struggle with guilt and how to deal with it to the point of becoming disabled as far as leading a healthy and joyful life. Guilt, like a wolf stalking a wounded lamb, haunts their every step, their conscious and unconscious thought. This guilt is in the forefront of the mind and torments them in their dreams, dreams which once saw castles and noble deeds, now have nightmares of ruin, of monsters coming at them, and what to do evades them.

The shrinks recommend this pill, and this social activity and refer them to yet another counselor and they go hither and yon, and still the night comes bringing ever more fear.

Most people are not aware of the corner preacher who not only knows verses in the Bible, but who also understands them within the framework of the human condition, factoring God's mercy can truly help in the matter of getting rid of guilt.

Contrary to the practice of many preachers, the true calling of preachers of Christ especially, is to point out from the scripture that we have good reason to feel guilty and also that all of the promises to do better, to go here or there, are worthless efforts, much like the ineffective garments of fig leaves fashioned by our Progenitors in the ancient garden. The figs fashioned on our own pattern always fail in our effort to hide our nakedness from the Lord.

Due to the clear simple plan of removing guilt taught in scripture many mistake the truth for a mere simplistic pseudo solution. In doing this they miss the truth and continue in the tormenting chains of guilt.

If a man were to come to me and ask, "Larry what do I have to do be condemned?" my only truthful answer would be, "Nothing, absolutely nothing. The scripture says that you are condemned already, the actions that you say haunt you, are only additions to the situation." At this point a shortened version of the gospel story of God's love expressed toward condemned people through the sacrifice of Christ is explained and this answers the crying need of the human soul for forgiveness and the resulting deliverance from guilt, as the sentence of death on of Adam's seed was accomplished in Christ, and we can be changed into a new born child of God. Simple? Yes. Easy? Not for Christ.

A lady talked with me for several times and kept insisting that she had committed far too many sins to ever be saved. I failed to get the reality across to her that had she committed no sins, she would still need the righteousness of Christ. I then shared a line with her from John Bunyan, author of "The Pilgrim's Progress." Bunyan wrote:

"There is more worth and merit in one drop of Christ's blood to save you, than in all the sins of the world to condemn you."

I am glad the Lord used this line to break through and bring peace to her heart.

Larry Lilly Copyright © 2008 Use with credit.

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