He chose death for us over life without us.

We spend a lot of time trying not to feel guilty about various things in our lives. Did you just read that sentence and say to yourself that you don't spend any time feeling guilty, that there is no sense in feeling guilty about anything? To say we shouldn't feel guilty is to say we shouldn't recognize our guilt. If we spend a lot of time not feeling guilty about anything then we are spending a lot of time condoning sin in ourselves. If we don't have a sense of guilt as we contemplate the purity, the sinlessness of our Savior, then are we recognizing our need of Him? You might say you are relishing the forgiveness our Savior has extended to you, but is the forgiveness extended without first recognizing the guilt, without recognition of needing forgiveness because of our sins? The recognition of need is something we can never lose. The recognition of need is knowing we are sinners. That recognition is realizing when we sin, or are about to sin.

We are to take up our cross daily- just knowing that brings the realization we need to recognize that daily we are to be reminded of the cross of our Savior and what took place upon that cross. Our Savior died upon that cross, and He died because of our sins- your sins, my sins, all of our sins. Asking forgiveness for our sins is recognizing the innocence of our Savior and the magnitude of His sacrifice. He died for us when He did not have to die at all. He chose death for us over life without us. And yes, there is an enormous sense of gratitude for His sacrifice within us, because we know He died for our guilt.

Our feeling guilty is truly recognizing our wrongs, recognizing all those wrongs, each of those wrongs killed the Innocent One.

When, by the grace of God and through the Holy Spirit our conscience is awakened to our guilt in all its many forms, we need to thank God for the sense of guilt. We are given a chance to repent and seek forgiveness as we are convicted of the sins in our life.  Yes, we are to take up the cross daily, not try to bury the cross, not try to hide the cross, not shroud the cross in false purity when we have no white robes of righteousness to cover it in- all our righteousness are filthy rags, only Christ's righteousness can bring purity.  We must take up our cross willingly, knowingly understanding what we are taking up.

Please Lord, please don't let us ever lose our knowing need of You and Your sacrifice, never, please.

All in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, our LORD now and forever!

Luk_9:23  And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

1Jn_1:9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Isa_64:6  But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

Gal_5:5  For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.

Rev 3:18  I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. 

Rev_19:8  And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.