Do you Have Righteousness in Christ?

This is a short story that shows a child, (Cameron), can have righteousness in Christ without guilt when he chooses to repent of his sins. Barnabus is his dog companion who is fairly well versed in scripture. This may help small children who may not know who they are in Christ. This child bible lesson reveals the emotions of a child in a safe setting and may allow children to speak about feelings of guilt they may be harboring and the conviction or guilt they feel when they have sinned.

Cameron: Barnabus, I feel really bad about something I did.

Barnabus: What is it Cameron?

Cameron: Well, my teacher asked me if I flipped a rubber band and I told her I didn't, but I actually did do it. Everyone else was doing it but I was the only one she asked and I got scared and lied about doing it. Now I feel awful for lying and wonder if God still loves me.

Barnabus: Cameron, we all sin, fortunately Jesus paid the price for our sins by being the ultimate sacrifice with his death on the cross. When we sin we need to repent and ask for God's forgiveness. Then we can have fellowship with him again. We shouldnot have guilt after we have asked God's forgiveness because we have been made right again. You will then have what is called righteousness in Christ. You probably should also confess to your teacher that you did flip the rubber band.

Cameron: I did ask for forgiveness, but I just keep thinking

about it and feeling really bad. I feel really far away from God and don't know how to get him back in my life.

Barnabus: Cameron that is the enemy,Satan,who is trying to make you feel guilty and condemned. He is using guilt and fear to make you feel separated from God. God does not want you to feel this way and wants a relationship with you again. You see Cameron everything we as Christians do is not always good. We make mistakes and sometimes break God's commandments, but what we do is different from who we are. Cameron, you have righteousness in Christ. That means that even though God is not always pleased with your behavior(lying about flipping the rubber band), he always loves you and accepts you because you are 'In Christ'. When we ask God into our hearts we automatically have righteousness in Christ, which means Jesus has accepted and taken our sins from us when we repent so we are no longer separated from God.

Cameron: Oh, I think I understand. God doesn't just see me as Cameron. He sees me as Cameron and Jesus together. So when I mess up and then ask God's forgiveness,God forgives me instantly because Jesus(who lives inside me)took the blame when he died on the cross. And I can instantly have a close relationship with God again after repenting because my sins are cleaned up through the blood of Jesus.

Barnabus: That's right Cameron. You understand what it means to have righteousness in Christ. But we as Christians don't purposely sin because we think we can get away with it. Because we have asked Jesus into our hearts, we feel very convicted when we sin. That means we have a heavy feeling of guilt that does not go away until we repent of our sin. But it is good to know that when we do mess up we can do something to make it right with God again.

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