Practicing love and acceptance rather than guilt and shame Series: Faithful families in an unfaithful world Message: Practicing love and acceptance rather than guilt and shame Romans 5: 1-2, 10-11; Romans 8:1 & 37

Practicing love and acceptance rather than guilt and shame Introduction: We are able to practice forgiveness ONLY because we have received forgiveness from God through our trust in Jesus Christ.

Practicing love and acceptance rather than guilt and shame By faith we obey God’s call to forgive and then God provides His supernatural power which flows through us enabling us to forgive ourselves and others.

Practicing love and acceptance rather than guilt and shame Today we consider together the truth that faithful families need to practice the Biblical core value of love & acceptance.

The opposite of this love & acceptance is guilt & shame. Practicing love and acceptance rather than guilt and shame The opposite of this love & acceptance is guilt & shame.

We are able to practice love & acceptance to ourselves Practicing love and acceptance rather than guilt and shame We are able to practice love & acceptance to ourselves and to others ONLY because we have received this love & acceptance from God in Christ.

Biblical core value of reconciliation. Practicing love and acceptance rather than guilt and shame In Romans 5:10-11 God reveals to us the Biblical core value of reconciliation.

Practicing love and acceptance rather than guilt and shame Romans 5:10-11 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11 And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

God reveals to us the results of this gift of reconciliation. Practicing love and acceptance rather than guilt and shame In Romans 8:1 & 37 God reveals to us the results of this gift of reconciliation.

Romans 8:1 & 37 who are in Christ Jesus. through Him who loved us. Practicing love and acceptance rather than guilt and shame Romans 8:1 & 37 1 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.

Because we have been reconciled to God in Christ, Practicing love and acceptance rather than guilt and shame Because we have been reconciled to God in Christ, we can live in the confidence that God will never condemn us.

We also stand in the confidence that nothing can ever separate us Practicing love and acceptance rather than guilt and shame We also stand in the confidence that nothing can ever separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

to know God more intimately and to surrender our lives to Him. Practicing love and acceptance rather than guilt and shame Our confidence in God’s eternal and unconditional love & acceptance creates in us a desire to know God more intimately and to surrender our lives to Him.

Just like the experience of forgiveness we can experience Practicing love and acceptance rather than guilt and shame Just like the experience of forgiveness we can experience the supernatural flow of God’s love & acceptance as we by faith seek to obey His call to love others as He loved us.

We must believe and apply fully the truth that God has Practicing love and acceptance rather than guilt and shame We must believe and apply fully the truth that God has indeed forgiven us to be able to obey Him in forgiving others.

we must believe & fully apply Practicing love and acceptance rather than guilt and shame Likewise, we must believe & fully apply the truth of God’s love & acceptance to be able to extend His love to others through us.

Reconciliation means to bring close one who was previously Practicing love and acceptance rather than guilt and shame Reconciliation means to bring close one who was previously in a position of separation from us and/or our enemy.

Practicing love and acceptance rather than guilt and shame God’s choice, to reconcile us to Himself, means God is bringing us as close to Himself as possible.

Through reconciliation our life is eternally joined to God’s life Practicing love and acceptance rather than guilt and shame Through reconciliation our life is eternally joined to God’s life by our trusting in Jesus. We are now a member of God’s family.

In forgiveness we are freed from sin’s penalty, power, Practicing love and acceptance rather than guilt and shame In forgiveness we are freed from sin’s penalty, power, and one day it’s presence. We are declared righteous by Jesus.

This is the meaning of Justification. Justification means to be Practicing love and acceptance rather than guilt and shame This is the meaning of Justification. Justification means to be declared righteous, just as if we never sinned.

Practicing love and acceptance rather than into His eternal family. guilt and shame Reconciliation means that once we are justified / forgiven we then experience God’s placing us into His eternal family.

Both are happening to us at the same time when we trust Jesus. Practicing love and acceptance rather than guilt and shame These are not two steps. Both are happening to us at the same time when we trust Jesus. We are examining them separating to gain a greater understanding.

Practicing love and acceptance rather than guilt and shame Illustration: The Judge’s choice.

Satan and his demonic forces do not want you to live Practicing love and acceptance rather than guilt and shame Satan and his demonic forces do not want you to live in the full experience of this love from God.

The forces of darkness lie to us with great deception Practicing love and acceptance rather than guilt and shame The forces of darkness lie to us with great deception seeking to lead us away from God’s love & acceptance. These forces seek to lead us into the experiences of guilt and shame.

the wonderful blessings that come as a result Practicing love and acceptance rather than guilt and shame The goal of Satan’s forces for every person is to steal, kill, and destroy. If possible, these forces of darkness will steal from us the wonderful blessings that come as a result of God’s love & acceptance.

Finally, they will seek to destroy Practicing love and acceptance rather than guilt and shame If allowed they will seek to kill any and all of the joyful experiences God intended for us. Finally, they will seek to destroy any influence God may be giving you to demonstrate His love & acceptance to others.

God created each of us with a need, a desperate yearning Practicing love and acceptance rather than guilt and shame God created each of us with a need, a desperate yearning to be loved, accepted, and to know that our life has meaning or purpose.

ONLY God can bring a fulfillment of these 3 vital needs. Practicing love and acceptance rather than guilt and shame ONLY God can bring a fulfillment of these 3 vital needs. The need of love, acceptance, and purpose are experienced every moment of every day. We can call these 3 needs our value or our worth.

Satan and his forces are also aware of our need of value. Practicing love and acceptance rather than guilt and shame Satan and his forces are also aware of our need of value. The lies they speak to us attack us in this vital area. He attacks through urging us to accept substitutes for God.

This leads us to attempt to meet Practicing love and acceptance rather than guilt and shame This leads us to attempt to meet this need of worth through things, relationships, accomplishment, etc. Nothing the world offers can fully satisfy this God created need.

These forces of Satan speak lies Practicing love and acceptance rather than guilt and shame These forces of Satan speak lies to us using first person language. This is an attempt to deceive us into believing that these ideas have come from within us.

Here are a few examples of the lies. Practicing love and acceptance rather than guilt and shame Here are a few examples of the lies. - My value depends upon my performance – produces a fear of failure My value depends upon the approval of others – fear of rejection

Practicing love and acceptance rather than guilt and shame Examples continued Those who fail are unworthy of love and deserve to be punished-blamed My failures make it okay for others, or even myself, to condemn me - I believe God loves me but God could never accept me

Believing the truth of God’s Word sets us free Practicing love and acceptance rather than guilt and shame Believing the truth of God’s Word sets us free from the deceptive power of these lies.

God’s love & acceptance is NOT given to us based upon our behavior Practicing love and acceptance rather than guilt and shame God’s love & acceptance is NOT given to us based upon our behavior either before we are born again or afterwards.

is COMPLETELY based upon the work of Jesus on the cross Practicing love and acceptance rather than guilt and shame The value God gives us is COMPLETELY based upon the work of Jesus on the cross and His resurrection from the dead.

Our lives are eternally joined to the life of Jesus. Practicing love and acceptance rather than guilt and shame Our lives are eternally joined to the life of Jesus. Because God eternally loves and accepts Jesus, God eternally loves & accepts us.

How do we live in the freedom of God’s love and acceptance? Practicing love and acceptance rather than guilt and shame How do we live in the freedom of God’s love and acceptance?

& resurrection of Jesus Practicing love and acceptance rather than guilt and shame Trust in the death & resurrection of Jesus as your ONLY means of receiving love & acceptance from God.

Trust that your relationship with God you now enjoy Practicing love and acceptance rather than guilt and shame Trust that your relationship with God you now enjoy because of Jesus is eternal.

Practicing love and acceptance rather than can be fully experienced. guilt and shame 3. Trust that your relationship with God is where all of your need for love, acceptance, and purpose can be fully experienced. God alone can give you 100% of this need.

Trust fully the truth that God will never condemn you. Practicing love and acceptance rather than guilt and shame Trust fully the truth that God will never condemn you. Do not accept condemnation from others. Do not respond to the manipulation of guilt and shame.

Practicing love and acceptance rather than guilt and shame When guilt and shame are used to persuade, you can be confident it is not coming from God. Do not treat others with condemnation.

Respond to God’s conviction Practicing love and acceptance rather than guilt and shame Respond to God’s conviction with thanksgiving, confession, repentance, and a willingness to be transformed.

God’s love & acceptance does NOT mean God accepts all behavior. Practicing love and acceptance rather than guilt and shame Do not permit the forces of darkness to twist God’s loving discipline into false guilt and paralyzing shame. God’s love & acceptance does NOT mean God accepts all behavior.

God separates who a person is from what a person does. Practicing love and acceptance rather than guilt and shame God separates who a person is from what a person does. We are to love and accept every person. We are to also speak the truth of God’s Word in love in faith that if God can transform us He can transform anyone else.

Study God’s Word concerning His love & acceptance. Practicing love and acceptance rather than guilt and shame Study God’s Word concerning His love & acceptance.

Here are a few Scriptures to get you started- in bulletin outline Practicing love and acceptance rather than guilt and shame Here are a few Scriptures to get you started- in bulletin outline Romans 8:1, 37 Galatians 5:1, 13-14, 16, 18, 22-25 Ephesians 1: 3-2:10 Hebrews 6:17-20 Hebrews 7:25 1 John 1:9

Choose to live in a manner worthy of this calling. Practicing love and acceptance rather than guilt and shame Choose to live in a manner worthy of this calling. Ask God to work through you to treat all others as people God values. Ask God to help you introduce them to God’s love & acceptance

Meditate of this statement of truth concerning you. Practicing love and acceptance rather than guilt and shame Meditate of this statement of truth concerning you. God’s Word teaches that as God’s child I am completely forgiven and accepted. My sin cannot and does not bring condemnation or God would be a liar and that is impossible!

is temporarily hindered. Practicing love and acceptance rather than guilt and shame When I do choose to sin my fellowship with God is temporarily hindered. The Holy Spirit convicts me in love seeking my repentance.

God is faithful and just to forgive me and restore our fellowship Practicing love and acceptance rather than guilt and shame When I confess my sin God is faithful and just to forgive me and restore our fellowship and God is able to cleanse me of the root of mistrust which helped to produce the sin.

I will no longer live as a slave to guilt and condemnation. Practicing love and acceptance rather than guilt and shame I choose to live in these truths and by God’s Grace I reject any thoughts or words that would come against me attacking these truths. I will no longer live as a slave to guilt and condemnation. I am free in Christ! I am free to live for Him!

Have you received from God Practicing love and acceptance rather than guilt and shame Closing Thoughts Have you received from God this wonderful gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ? (Romans 6:23)

speaks of a transformation which occurs through a renewing Practicing love and acceptance rather than guilt and shame Closing Thoughts Romans 12: 1-2 speaks of a transformation which occurs through a renewing of our minds

Practicing love and acceptance rather than guilt and shame Closing Thoughts It will take time to break all the chains that false guilt can have on our minds and hearts yet now is the time to take the truth and begin to allow God to set us free!

Practicing love and acceptance rather than guilt and shame Series: Faithful families in an unfaithful world Message: Practicing love and acceptance rather than guilt and shame Romans 5: 1-2, 10-11; Romans 8:1 & 37