Endurance for the Journey, False Guilt, Featured
But there were also false prophets among the people,
just as there will be false teachers among you.
They will secretly introduce destructive heresies,
even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them –
bringing swift destruction upon themselves.
2 PETER 2:1
I remember one young man who confronted me during my battle against cancer. He told me I had cancer because of sin in my life and that if I confessed that sin, God would restore my health. What a load of guilt that was! By that time, I had struggled enough with the whys of my cancer to recognize the false guilt inherent in the young man’s solution.
I was fortunate to have the grace to politely, but clearly, reject that guilt. I responded to him by saying, “I appreciate what you’re saying. I do have sin in my life, but I can’t say this happened because of it. I do know that cancer has caused me to draw closer to God and that God can use this as a way of encouraging others. Who am I – or you – to say what God should or should not be doing in my life? God is in control of that. We are not.”
But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord.
Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone
who asks you to give the reason
for the hope you have.
But do this with gentleness and respect.
1 PETER 3:15 (NIV)
On the journey with you,
Dave Dravecky