The Guilt Spoon

Honestly we didn't mean to do it. A few years ago we rented a mountain cabin for a few days. When we got home we discovered that we had inadvertently taken one of their spoons from its kitchen. To this day we keep it in our silverware drawer at home in case we ever go back to that cabin.

Our youngest son has nicknamed that spoon. He calls it the guilt spoon. Every time we see it, it reminds us of our unintentional theft.

A lot of people carry around a guilt spoon – something that triggers a reminder of failures, weakness, and sin. And deep down we know that God is so holy that even a teaspoon of sin is enough to separate us from Him.

And that is what makes Romans 8:1 is so revolutionary. It says, "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus..."

The Bible does not say that there is nothing in us that deserves condemnation, because there is. Nor does it say that God has just randomly decided to overlook it, because He has not. What it says is that, because Jesus Christ took God’s condemnation for sin upon himself, we are no longer guilty.

So you know what I’m going to do with that guilt spoon from now on? Eat ice cream! I’m turning my guilt spoon into a grace spoon.