I have struggled with headaches in my life for a long time.
Why have these headaches persisted?
I had believed also that these headaches would indicated that God was not happy with me, and therefore I had to do something about them.
This ongoing fight within my head, my mind, all of it kindled a sense of sin and shame, as though I had done something wrong which needed to be fixed.
That sense of "wrongdoing", I soon realized, is in itself wrong.
Paul was not mincing word or messing with us when he declared with such wonderful, blessed boldness:
"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus." (Romans 8: 1)
There is no condemnation. Period.
There is no condemnation. None.
If there are troubles in our lives, the first thought in our minds should NEVER be:
"What have I done wrong, to deserve this sad outcome?"
Never!
For God is not punishing our sins, nor He is going after us for any wrongdoing in our lives.
Why? Not because God has gone soft on sin, has become unjust in extending arbitrary release from consequences.
The payment for all our sins took place at the Cross:
"13And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; 14Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; 15And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it." (Colossians 2: 13-15)
We need to keep in mind that Jesus did not die for our sins in the past, but for all our sins, -- even the ones which have not committed yet, because. .well, think about it: where were all our sins when Jesus died on the Cross? They were in the future.
Now, the requirements of the law were also against us, not because the law is bad, but because sin in us is so bad, that the blood of Jesus had to pay for it fully and eternally.
The blood of Jesus cleanses (1 John 1: 7), and He rests forever as our Mercy Seat and High Priest forever:
"1My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." (1 John 2: 1-2)
The Book of Hebrews explains at great length who Jesus is and what He has done (and is doing now):
"Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec," (Hebrews 6: 20)
followed by:
"12But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; 13From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool." (Hebrews 10: 12-13)
This is such a new concept to me, in that for the longest time the sense of upset and pain in my head had been the "guiding prod" for so long in my life.
We are not supposed to wrestle or fight against the sense of sin and shame in our lives at all. That sense of demand in our lives has no place whatsoever, for all of it is a dead manifestation in our flesh of the sin and guilt which Jesus Christ put away forever at the Cross, and represents on our behalf at the right hand of God the Father.
The AA cult must indeed be condemned and removed from churches, for like the other Judaizing frauds perpetrated against the Body of Christ during Paul's ministry. That awful cult perpetuates a sense of sin and wrongdoing. Every time that a person gets angry or loses their temper, they have to work hard and do something about the negative feelings.
No. Jesus did a perfect work, and in no wise can our feelings or thoughts somehow cut us off from God.
Once again, Paul could not have been clearer:
"There is now no condemnation in Christ Jesus."
The sense of sin is itself a shame, a sham, and thus a total scam to rob God's children of their Christ-bought liberty.
Paul blasts the Judaizers (which would have included Bill W. if he were alive then):
"And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage:" (Galatians 2: 4)
and then
"Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage." (Galatians 5: 1)
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