The Annoying Aspects of Grace

Have you ever talked with a friend, and during a moment the conversation, you are reminded of something that you had done.

Come on, you know you have!

Ever felt guilty?

I am sure we all have at some point. Maybe you said something to a loved one (and I can tell you some stories!), hurt someone you cared about, or did something wrong and got caught. There are times when I look back and still have feeling of guilt over something I did, even when I know I have been forgiven.

But why these feelings of guilt?

Why this sense of still feeling the sense of wrong, when I know I no longer need to hold on to it? I think some of it is found in the annoyance of grace.

We find grace annoying because there is nothing we can do to earn it.

Guilt is that feeling that I still need to do something to PAY for this sin or wrongdoing I have committed. Yet in the beauty of the Cross lies the shadows of grace and forgiveness that extends to us still today. The burden was carried by Christ when he was nailed to a grace, and our freedom from sin was born on the day of his resurrection. Yet we can't shake the feeling that somehow, I must still pay for the sin I have committed. Even though Christ paid it, we continue to hold on to feeling of guilt, because of feeling of unworthiness of the grace received, or feelings that somehow, I should still make restitution for the sin I committed.That's what can be so "annoying" about grace. It releases us from the payment. It cancels the debt. Yet our guilt is found in us not being able to let go of that guilt. Maybe the guilt is in some sense a comfort for us, becoming the "payment" for the sins that we have been forgiven of. Yet Christ desires to release us from that. He desires to not only forgive us of our sins, pay our debt, but also free us from guilt. We are not meant to hold on to that which as been forgotten. We are free from thinking that we still have some from of restitution to pay for sins forgiven.