Living Guilt Free

[soso]

Living Guilt Free

Exchanging Satan’s Condemnation for Jesus’ Righteousness

By Pastor Jim Cymbala of the Brooklyn Tabernacle

Wednesday, May 20, 2026

출처 https://www.brooklyntabernacle.org/living-guilt-free/

동영상 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkECrwJ4tWo&list=PLzzMcu25O6Rb11um1hTjwavMdINFaCssk&index=18

I’m a bit of a student of church history.

I’ve read that [great men and women of God] have battled /with something //that we all face too.

I have battled /with it.

And I’ve counseled untold numbers of people who say, “You’re right, that’s one of my issues.”

What is this struggle?

How to live guilt free.

Guilt is a heavy-duty thing.

Another word for it in the Scripture is “condemnation.”

We’ve all done [things] [wrong], and we also continue to sin—yes, even Christians.

The Bible says that if anyone claims to have no sin, he’s a liar, and the truth is not in him (see 1 John 1:8).

So how do we reconcile /with that?

We think, “I’m a Christian.

I’m a brand-new creation.

Oh, why did I tell that lie?

Why did I talk /harshly to my spouse?”

Then we live /with a cloud over us.

Our joy and peace are affected.

It’s hard to witness for Jesus Christ /when we’re thinking, “Oh, Lord, I’m so sorry.”

Now we know doctrinally that our sins are gone.

But most of us have this idea: “Christ came /into my life.

He washed away [my past sins].

Now let [me] [show Him that I’m serious about pleasing Him].”

Then we start [trying to build up enough good works] /so we can feel good about ourselves.

But we fluctuate, depending on [what temptations hit us].

Sometimes we’re hyper happy.

Other times we’re secretly morose.

[What contributes /to all this] is one of the names of Satan: the Accuser.

Satan is always working to rob us of our joy, peace, and effectiveness for God by condemning us.

He’s always accusing us: “You’re a rat. You’re not [what people think () you are].”

Then we think, “There’s some truth to that.

People think () I’m all that, but I’m not.”

Then comes guilt.

Yet Romans 8:1 says, “There is now no condemnation for those //who are in Christ Jesus” (NIV).

We’re supposed to live guilt free.

But how?

We run to the Bible.

Philippians 3, particularly.

People have held to [these verses] /on their deathbeds.

[Some of the greatest saints //who have ever lived] have run to these words.

In this chapter Paul was writing /about his religious pedigree.

He had been a strict Jew, faultless according to the law.

He had thought, “I’m somebody.”

He had been so dedicated /to his religion /that he had even persecuted Christians.

He had been proud of these things.

And then he’d met Jesus—and understood salvation by grace through faith.

So he said this:

[Whatever were gains to me] I now consider [loss for the sake of Christ].

What is more, I consider [everything] [a loss] /because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord,

for whose sake I have lost all things.

I consider [them] [garbage],

/that I may gain Christ and be found in him,

not having a righteousness of my own //that comes /from the law,

but that //which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness //that comes /from God /on the basis of faith.

(Philippians 3:7–9, NIV)

Paul, our model Christian and follower of Jesus, said, “I’m not going back /to how I used to live

—obeying enough to feel good about myself and gain peer approval.

Satan wants [me] [to go back to that], but I never will live /that way /again.”

If [doing good] is [the way to get saved], then Jesus died /in vain.

We’ve got to keep [our eyes] /only on Jesus.

We look at [ourselves] and ask, “How am I doing?”

Then, if we’re not doing well, we start to doubt our salvation /because we see our imperfections and failures.

But God gave [us] [righteousness as a gift].

It’s not our righteousness, because we didn’t earn it.

But it is our righteousness, because it’s a gift from God.

Picture it /this way: I look in [my bank account], and I know () I’ve got nothing there.

Then the teller says, “Congratulations. I see that somebody put ten million dollars /in your account /last week!”

I say, “No, no, you have the wrong name.”

But the teller insists. I didn’t work for the money,

but the teller says, “I know, but it’s yours—someone gave [it] /to you.

It doesn’t matter [how you got it].

Rejoice /in your ten million dollars!”

* It = [how you got it]. 

That’s [what God is saying /to us: “Rejoice every day!”

Yes, we should confess our sins.

Where we see disobedience, we should ask [the Lord] [to forgive us].

But that is not our right standing with God.

Our right standing is a gift from God.

It’s the righteousness of Jesus Christ /given to us.

So we must always go back /to this:

“Satan, you’re a liar.

Get /out of here /with that accusation.

Don’t try to bring me down.

I’m not going down.

I’m going up /because of Jesus.

It’s not about me.

It’s about Jesus.”

What a great salvation God has given us /through faith /in His Son, Jesus Christ!

Prayer

God, thank You for the gift of righteousness.

We could never be good enough for it, but You freely give it to us.

Jesus, help [us] [to overcome our guilt].

Help [us] [to live each day in the power of Your righteousness]. 

If this encouraged you, you can receive Pastor Cymbala’s weekly blog post /by email here.

For More Encouragement

• Listen to the full message by Pastor Jim Cymbala: “Guilt Free”
• Enjoy other resources to help you draw closer to God: “The Christian’s Cure” and “Release Control”
• Visit Pastor Cymbala’s Facebook page