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Why Lady Macbeth Didn't Have To Commit Suicide Part 2

Running to Win / Erwin Lutzer
The Cross Radio
February 11, 2021 1:00 am

Why Lady Macbeth Didn't Have To Commit Suicide Part 2

Running to Win / Erwin Lutzer

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February 11, 2021 1:00 am

Guilt and shame can drive people to kill themselves, as Lady Macbeth did in Shakespeare’s famous play. There is a way back from the precipice, and it’s found in the Word of God. What is the way God has provided to bring hope to the hopeless?

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One reason for us. Jesus phone number for you and shame can drive to kill themselves as Shakespeare's famous play. There is a way back from the precipice, and it's found in the word of God from the Moody Church in Chicago.

This is running to serve as clear teaching helps us make it across the finish line your teaching from Hebrews chapter 10 on why the work of Christ is sufficient to rid us of suicidal depression. I really do believe that Dave I know that there are many different causes of depression. Often times it is because of guilt and shame that it may be because of other causes. It's a very complicated subject, but this much I deeply believe that the grace of Christ and the blood of Christ, as will see in this series of messages.

The blood of Jesus Christ is able to meet people at the depth of their need. They need a sense of acceptance that comes to us through Christ our Lord. In my many friends today who are listening to this ministry. Thank you in advance for helping us get the gospel of Jesus Christ around the world for a gift of any amount you can have these messages by the way we make this resource available to you.

Here's what you do go to RTW offer.com that's RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337 and I were going to open our Bibles and go to one of my most favorite passages about the completeness of Christ's work.

I believe that you'll be blessed. Stay tuned and hear what the author is thinking is that just as Jesus Christ body was ripped on the cross, the very same way thanks to his body and his self, the veil that separated the common person from the holy of holies has been ripped into thanks to Jesus so we can come into the very presence of Almighty God through the blood of Jesus. Let's continue to read. We have a great high priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, we don't come wondering and saying, well now I wonder if I've done enough for God. I wonder if God is going to accept what I've done my good enough look at my past.

Look at my background know where that that's all important. But that's not the basis upon which you come to God come to God because God says I sold value. The blood of Christ, that if you, trusting that come boldly come to receive come to have fellowship with me because that's the basis upon which I receive you and them having a and then it says, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience.

There is the word hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience. This will become important in a moment, as were talking about guilt and depression and our bodies washed with pure water. Now did they say it's not talking about baptism there. You have to understand that he's using Old Testament terminology in the Old Testament times when Moses was going through those rituals he took blood and he sprinkled it on all of the elements and so forth as a symbol of its cleansing so he saying in the very same way. Symbolically, the blood of Jesus Christ is applied to our consciences is not as if it's literally sprinkled but it is effective that we might experience the freedom and the deliverance from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water in the Old Testament near the priests used to have to do that to. So God is saying body and spirit. You come to be cleansed and forgiven and received by God. And then he goes on to say that time, let us hold fast the confession of our hope. By the way, notice the fact that he uses the word. Let us three times.

Let us draw near, let us hold fast.

Let us consider how to stir one another up for love some wag said there are three heads of lettuce here. Let us, let us, let us, let us, what you say pastor Luther that was sure a quick tour. So how does that relate to my depression. How does that get me to where I want to go, what does that say about my guilt and the sense that I am constantly held back because of my past, or because of the guilt that is been laid upon me as you know a couple of weeks ago I spoke about false guilt while we draw near, into the presence of God. We are welcomed into the presence of God as if catch this as if we are Jesus, as it were Jesus because were coming on the visit of his blood and his sacrifice where sure a long way from him in terms of our personal experience in our sin, but God says when it when I see the blood, I see the blood of the Passover that I won't bring you into judgment come near, through the blood of Christ. So here are some transforming truths that I hope will help us. The blood of Jesus Christ gives us full, unfettered access to God and it's for you today. I may be speaking to some young person who struggles with same-sex attraction. You say he was say well you know I'm different. I don't really fit with you, you come, God will deal with that issue and we can have that discussion some other time. But you, on the basis of the blood of Jesus Christ to God's son, and you come to God if you're trusting the blood of Christ to get there is a very famous evangelist. He was an evangelist.

He was a scholar. He was a Bible professor. He was well known.

I will give you his name. I met him only once in my short life, but I read an account of how he died. He was there and that he was in great distress because you know there's something about eternity. That's a little frightening. Even people who write books on one minute after you die realize there's a lot of mystery there and that might make a good title and so they said to him, well, you know, think of the fact that you are president of the school you were the pastor of this church.

Think of all the good things that God has done for you and through you and he continued to wrestle and there was no peace and then somebody had the good mind to say the only basis upon which we receive entry into God's presence is through the blood of Christ, and it is enough and he died.

Remember the blood is the only basis upon which we come to God. Secondly, we must reject this is so critical we must reject any notion of self atonement any notion of self atonement.

If you asked me what is the greatest mistake that many people make when it comes to coming before God in prayer.

It is this. They look at their lives and they try to find some reason I thought you should ask. So they're looking they say Lord you want to really receive me today because I had a warm time in my devotions Lord you want to really receive me because I'm not as bad as other people, you know, it's also good Lord, now that I can really understand but I'm I'm better than that of Lord you know that I'm trying and I'm giving you know there are people who actually flagellate. I think I miss pronounce that word is not one that I'm too familiar with, but they actually whipped themselves. There is a better word that actually whipped themselves and and they do all that they want to somehow atone for sin not seen this on TV and it's enough to make grown people cry as if to say, God says OIC that you are cutting yourself and you are being yourself. After all that, I think that now I ought to.

That doesn't work and what is the characteristic of everything when they are finished. Uncertainty have I done enough as God accepted me. You don't like one guy on a plane said to me you know what my biggest fear is when I stand before God. I said what is it he said I fear standing behind Mother Teresa in the day of judgment and overhearing the Lord say I lady I think you could've done more in other words, what does God demand what must I do to finally receive his complete approval.

So many people say well you know I hate myself I I cut my wrist. I I do all these things because I am so full of self believing that lie, of course, I need to suffer.

I just can't receive God's grace because I expect to suffer. I deserved to suffer and that's what I expect the answer is this my dear friend. Suffering happens.

I understand.

But what you must do is to realize that all that is nothing God says when I see the blood when I see the blood all accept you when you cross the blood of Christ that is the basis of my acceptance and I don't only accept you but I elevate you as a child of God is a daughter of God and the son of God.

Someday you're going to be an heir of God in a joint heir with my blessed son because if you receive what I did for you. You will be saved. There's 1/3 important lesson and that is we must distinguish forgiveness from the consequences of sin is very important. We must distinguish forgiveness from the consequences of sin. There's a young woman who lives in a moral life and she receives God's forgiveness and then she discovers that she's pregnant. There's a baby on the way and when the baby comes. Every time she thinks of her sin.

Look at what I've done what she needs to do is this, to recognize that she can be clans, forgiven and rejoice in God and have the freedom to raise this child for the honor and the glory of God. Now that he or she has been born and that the fact of the ongoing consequences does not need to debilitate the fact that she can have joy in God you say will pass through, sir, where are you getting that you students at Moody Bible Institute. You should always ask that question. So where is he getting that I again appealed to David, and I was preaching this week elsewhere and perhaps I told you already, but if I have, it's because it's clear to me that you needed one more time. Okay David.

I mean here is he has adultery.

He takes another man's wife. He kills Uriah to kind of quote cover it up on the cover doesn't go very very well at all. Nathan comes to him. And David says that guy who stole the sheep he should receive sevenfold David catch this. David was more concerned about a rich man who stole a land that he was about a powerful man who stole someone else's wife.

That's just human nature. And then Nathan says to him, had taught each you are a man and David finally pours out all of his heart to God and he goes on to say, you know against Damien. They only have I sinned, and done evil and nice site that must be justified when those speakers to be clear when the judge is all about shape and iniquity didn't send it. My mother conceived you desire truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part you shall make me to know wisdom purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean, wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

By the way you take a bucket of snow and you melt that there'll be a little residue at the bottom. David says wash me so that I am whiter than snow make me to hear joy and gladness that the bones stop is broken they rejoice restore to me the joy of thy salvation, say, David, you wrecked your family, the consequences go on, you lost all moral authority over your sons, all of whom are going to go bad there's no way you can bring back the purity of Bathsheba. You can't have Uriah raised from the dead, and you rejoice in God and David would probably answer this way. I left at terribleness, but God's forgiveness is so great that I can still rejoice in the God of my salvation.

The consequences do not say that I can no longer rejoice in God distinguish consequences from forgiveness and acceptance.

Number four your conscience your conscience must be retrained to accept God's word is truth and not your feelings because feelings tell you lies lies lies lies about yourself, they lie to you. Oh, there's no hope you're so bad that the world would be better off if you were to end it.

Ally when this world is going to be better off without you. God will call for you and I'll take you home and he knows your name and he knows your ad knows exactly where you live, and he knows what plug to pull let him make that decision. All right, so what you need to do is to confront these lies and you have to retrain your conscience been doing some work on Martin Luther writing some things and I've been fascinated by his belief in the devil and the how he dialogues with the devil so to speak.

He said one time, the devil came to him and showed him all of his sin showed him all of his sins and Luther says, showing me all of my sins is the list so short. Don't you know that you missed this this this this and there are other things that God knows about that is your knowledge really that limited devil, but that's the best you can come up with.

I can add to the list and then he writes across the list, the blood of Jesus Christ, God's son cleanses us from all sin and he says devil.

How does that make you feel now what you have to say in light of that, he had to retrain his conscience to accept the fact that his guilt was now a lie. His depression and he suffered from depression.

The German word is unfixed and then was a lie and that he was not going to believe that he was going to believe God's holy word. Now, of course, confession becomes important, I might say for those who know God who've accepted the sacrifice of Christ because it maintains fellowship with God. And Luther understood that, so there is a place for confession. But it's not in order to be saved again. The Bible says that the work of Christ was so complete through one offering he perfected for all time those whom he his sanctifying those whom he those who have believed in Jesus. Imagine I don't have to believe these lies I don't have to do that is God's word says that I come the basis of blood in God, but of Christ. God is accept me still late for Lady Macbeth and she went her way in Shakespeare's play still late for those teenagers you know who wrote a thing. That said, I've messed up too bad if they had come to God through the blood that mass could have been cleansed and forgiven.

They could've had fellowship with God you see what I know, but they were using drugs. Yeah I know and that's a separate issue. That's why the next message in this series is on addiction that is a separate issue, but the fact is the basis upon which we come is always the blood of Christ. This is a lesson that I have learned throughout the years in my discouragement in times when I think all you know I did. I just really blew it. There is a God I'm just so thankful that the basis of my acceptance is your son's blood and I accept that blood is my cleansing and my forgiveness and in the future message will talk about the difference between cleansing and forgiveness. So I conclude today borrowing some words from the great civil rights leader Martin Luther King using them in a different context. If you understand this, you can say, free at last, free at last, free at last, thank God I am free at last. And what about you who have no assurance of salvation. You can't draw near with with the assurance the what is the text actually telling us here through complete assurance of faith because you've been committed to dead works you can receive Christ as Savior right now you can call up and say today. I believe that Jesus died and that he finished it and that I bring nothing to the table except my sin. That's my contribution. All has to do with him and his matchless grace, and you can believe on Christ and we all have prayer partners appear who are willing to pray with you to help nail that down and if you receive Christ as Savior. Tell a staff member tell one of us because were always delighted to hear what God does through the preaching of his word. Father, we thank you today that when we woke up.

Some people perhaps felt ill. Some felt discouraged some are plagued with regrets. We thank you today that the record player that has skipped a groove that continues to play the same song in our minds and hearts, we thank you today that it is still when we understand the gospel and we understand the truth of your word today, we stand on the basis of our high priest and his shed blood on this is Pastor Luther.

I certainly hope that you heard my heart today. Not just my words but my heart as I extend myself to you that you might come to Jesus Christ who died for sinners and as I look back over my ministry and ask myself the question what question have I been asked most often, I've oftentimes received letters asking have I committed the unpardonable sin I love to explain to people that if you're concerned about that.

You haven't any sin that you desire forgiveness for can be cleansed and forgiven. And so it's so important for us to realize that there is a wideness in God's mercy. If you been blessed as a result of this ministry and if you believe that these sermons would be of help to people so that you can listen to them again and again share them with your friends. Some of you parents should share them with your children.

Here's what you can do for a gift of any amount you can go to RTW offer.com RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337 ask for this sermon series the power of a clear conscience. My desire is to help you to get rid of all of those nagging thoughts of regret hidden thoughts that oftentimes deter your relationship with God so that you can get on enjoying his fellowship.

Once again RTW offer.com or 1-888-218-9337 and thanks in advance for helping us with this ministry, we have a passion to get the gospel of Jesus Christ to as many people as possible because of you running to win is heard in more than 20 different countries and together as you hold our hands. We are making a difference for the glory of God. You can write to us running to win 1635 N. LaSalle Boulevard Chicago, IL 60614 running to win is all about helping you find God's roadmap for your race of life. Compulsive behaviors eventually become addiction people become trapped and cannot find a way out. Next time I'm running to win how the grace of God provides a way out.

All listening, running to win is sponsored by the Moody Church