July 25, 2024 Devo

I was reading recently about a phenomenon that is not fully understood. It’s called “Phantom Limb Pain.” It’s the pain that a person feels in a part of the body that has been removed. One man’s story I was reading about talked about how, even though he had his leg amputated, he began feeling pain in his foot—a foot he no longer has. He would also feel pain in his shin and in other parts of his leg that were no longer attached to his body. Though it doesn’t seem possible, it’s real. At least it’s real to the person who feels it.
In a similar way, there are many of us who suffer from Phantom Sin Pain. We also call it “shame.” It’s a pain that we feel about things we’ve done, people we’ve hurt, or sins we’ve committed, even though we have fully confessed and repented. The pain is real to those who feel it. It’s just not TRUTH. Perhaps it’s a tender conscience that has a hard time healing. Perhaps it’s the Enemy whispering old accusations because he has nothing new to throw at them. Or perhaps it’s an individual who grew up where shame was something they were often hit with—especially by those who wanted to hurt or control them. Whatever the source, it’s false guilt. And it doesn’t come from God.
In Isaiah 43:25 God says, “I—yes, I alone—will blot out your sins for my own sake and will never think of them again.” (NLT) When we confess and repent, God not only forgives, He forgets. Our sins aren’t just covered, they’re GONE. That’s what Jesus is driving home in our passage today. He says we will “never be condemned for our sins.” Any guilt we feel about sins that He has forgiven is “phantom shame pain.” We may feel it, but it’s just not there.
If you’re feeling some of that phantom pain from sins you’ve already dealt with, I would invite you to come close to God today. Let Him remind you of the magnitude of His Grace. Let Him remind you of the payment He made for those sins on the cross. Reclaim the forgiveness that He has given you. Reclaim His Righteousness that He wraps you in today. Reclaim the TRUTH. And the truth is, “When the Son of God sets you free, you are free indeed!” That’s God’s Word for you today.