Although Patricia had been raised in a church-going family, at the time I met her, about the only time she attended was when her son or granddaughters were participating in a special program. On these occasions, she would slip in quietly, sit toward the back, and leave shortly before the service ended. After one of her visits, I invited her to come more regularly. Her response was memorable—and, as I have come to find out, not all that unusual. She said, “I’m not good enough to come back to church. There are a number of things in my life that I must change before I can return. I know I should be here, but God and the church wouldn’t want me the way I am.”
In the short time we had together, I assured her that God wanted her just the way she was and that He would work out the changes her life needed. It was obvious, though, that she had trouble believing me. Her views of an unforgiving God and of her own unworthiness were deeply ingrained. She carried a heavy burden of guilt. How I longed for her to get a glimpse of the God who says, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).*
she knew her guilt
Patricia needed to understand God’s plan for saving sinners. Oh, she knew well the part that says, “We are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6). She sensed the condemnation and guilt she bore as a sinner, and she knew that her sins made her worthy of death.
What complicated matters was that she believed that before God or the church could accept her, she had to change. She was doing things she knew the Bible condemns. She had tried to change her behavior, but she found she couldn’t change on her own. She couldn’t live her life the way she believed God wanted her to. She knew from experience the truth of the words, “Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots? Then may you also do good who are accustomed to do evil” (Jeremiah 13:23).
So, Patricia had no hope. Feeling guilty, unacceptable to God, and unable to change, she believed she would never experience salvation. She was resigned to being eternally lost. What a fearful prospect!
Although she probably wasn’t familiar with the term, what she needed most was justification. She needed to understand that through Christ, God would declare her perfectly righteous and look at her as though she had never sinned. If Patricia could believe that Jesus died for her sins and that He was offering her forgiveness as a free gift, her guilt and hopelessness would be cared for.
The Bible declares that “[Jesus] Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed” (1 Peter 2:24). All who struggle under a load of guilt can rejoice that when Jesus died on the cross, their sins were among those He died to cover. When we accept His gift, God regards us as sinless. The change of life for which we long comes as a result of the salvation we receive. Patricia could surrender herself to joy when she realized that God wasn’t waiting for her life to be changed before He would give her the salvation she wanted and needed.
Eventually, Patricia began to understand that she could do nothing to earn or merit salvation, that it is God’s free gift to those who accept Jesus Christ as their Savior (Romans 6:23), and that living a life that reflects God’s character is a result of our salvation, not the basis for it.
the tax collector’s prayer
Jesus told a story that illustrates this concept; it’s known as the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector (Luke 18:9–14). The Pharisee in this parable thought he was doing pretty well at living a good life, and he was trusting that the goodness of his life would commend him to God. In contrast, the tax collector was well aware of his unworthiness, and he was afraid so much as to look up to heaven. Feeling hopeless and undeserving, he simply prayed, “God, be merciful to me a sinner!” (verse 13). He knew that his only hope lay in throwing himself on God’s mercy because he knew he was a sinner, and he knew he couldn’t change himself.
The tax collector’s prayer is a prayer God delights to hear because He knows it comes from a person who will truly appreciate His gift. It was this struggling sinner, and not the self-satisfied Pharisee, who Jesus declared went home justified. God accepts sinners who believe Jesus died for their sins. He credits these believers, who don’t depend on their own righteousness, with the righteousness of Jesus.
No other gift that has ever been given—or that could ever be given to a human being—can bring with it the peace and joy that come with the knowledge that our sins are not counted against us. Our acceptance of God’s gift means that we can live without fear. The accusations of others about our sins and the doubts that arise when we think of our unworthiness cannot negate God’s offer of justification. While we can choose to reject God’s offer, He will never withdraw the provisions He has made for our salvation.
The prayer of David for God’s pardon and cleansing recorded in Psalm 51 brings to life the condition of humanity and the provisions of God. David wanted to stand before God pure and holy, but he couldn’t because of his adultery with Bathsheba. But David knew that God is in the business of restoring sinners. His words, “Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow” (verse 7), reveal his acquaintance with God’s offer to cleanse us from our sins. David also knew that God’s work for him would bring the joy and freedom from guilt that he desired.
So, what should you do when you feel the full weight of your sins, when someone is pointing out your shortcomings? Read again the story found in John 8:1–11. This passage tells of a woman condemned to death by the law. Caught in the act of adultery, she was brought before Jesus by the scribes and Pharisees to see what He would say about her punishment.
Those religious leaders were ready and willing to accuse her. And she certainly felt the full weight of her guilt. It was undeniable—she had been caught in the very act of breaking the law. That is why the words Jesus spoke were so dear to this woman. They are, in fact, the very words that every sinner needs to hear: “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more” (John 8:11). In these few words, Jesus let her—and you and me—know that instead of the condemnation of the law, she could experience freedom from sin and its guilt. He offered this woman—and every sinner who accepts God’s remedy for sin—a new standing before God. The repentant are counted as perfectly righteous.
When in doubt about your acceptance by God, when you feel unworthy and hopelessly caught in sin, remember the good news of salvation. It isn’t your worthiness that matters; it’s your acceptance of the worthiness of Jesus Christ. Go to Him for the gift of salvation that He so freely offers you.
* Scripture quotations in this article are from the New King James Version®.
