That’s because your mind and heart have not yet caught up the glory of the gospel that saves you. Your feelings have not caught up with the glorious truth. Here is what happened on the cross when Jesus died for you in love.
A holy God had wrath on us because of our sins. He poured out every last drop of that wrath that mankind deserves onto His Son, who bore it for you. His wrath has been spent on the Son and there is none left for you. Read Rom. 8:1.
A holy and righteous Divine Judge must punish sin. Sin is punishable by death (Rom. 6:23). So Christ bore the penalty of death that mankind deserves, died, and was buried. Then rose again to life three days later (1 Cor. 15:3-4), showing us that His death was different from every other person’s death–His death atones for our sins.
A holy and loving God sees mankind separated from Him because of shame and guilt, so He places us under a new Head. Adam was mankind’s head, and we all inherited shame and guilt from him, as well as sin and death. When we believe in the risen Christ, we move under a new headship, and inherit from Jesus not shame and guilt but His righteousness and peace is imputed to us. “Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone” (Romans 5:18 NLT). Instead of God with a frown, now with a smile. Instead of separated from God, now in His family and embrace. Instead of guilt, forgiveness and reconciliation.
Because of all this, because “He was wounded for our transgressions, … by His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5 NKJV). We are “healed” of our shame and guilt because we realize that His death (His “stripes,”–the whipping then the cross) satisfies God’s justice for our sins. It was enough, and God forgives and gladly brings us into His family forever.
“Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins” (Hebrews 9:14 NLT). He “will purify our consciences” by the truth of the gospel–when you truly believe what He has done for you, leaving you free to “worship the living God” and come gladly to Him in prayer (Hebrews 4:16 NLT).
Please don’t be moved by your feelings of shame, by which Satan deceives you, but embrace the glorious gospel until your whole body radiates with its light.
(NKJV = New King James Version. NLT = New Living Translation.)
