When Tempted to Despair

"Oh man, I've done it again. I am such a fool! I'm such a no good wretch!" Ever said these things after you have fallen into sin; whether it be lust, judgemetalism, anger? Ever said them with such an overwhelming spirit of despair and self-condemnation? Goodness, I know I have! Ha, and this is actually something that the Lord has shown me. It would feel like at times that when after I fall into sin, I feel like I need to pray or do something of that sort, because in the back of my mind I feel like I'm no longer under His favor. It's like I'm brought to despair over it.
 What lies from Satan that we gravitate towards believing. Trying to make us think that we fallen from the Father's grace, and need to try to do what we can to get back under it. Oh, and how prone we are to fall for those lies, even without realizing it at times.
 Yet it's the Gospel that can dispel the doubts and crush the despair. For we ought to have fully in mind that even though we may fall, we always end up landing in the Father's hands; the hands of grace. Indeed it's by His grace that we're saved, and by His grace that we are carried all the way home to Glory! The Scriptures even teach this. Let's take one verse for an example.

"Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died- more than that, who was raised- who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us."  ~Romans 8:34

Well folks, there you have it! The Gospel! It's what we need to be reminded of when we are tempted to despair. For the Gospel says there is One who paid the debt we owed to God in full by His death and resurrection, and who is alive, standing as our intercessor and advocate! Indeed,  we can take heart because the Gospel also says that we who are in Christ are no longer condemned (Rom. 8:1). Christ Jesus stood condemned in our place, took the curse for us (Gal 3:13), taking the wrath we deserve (Rom 3:25). Therefore we who are in Christ have no hell to fear, because we are under grace (Rom. 6:14)! Indeed we are those who have for shelter from the storm of the judgment of God under the banner of the blood of Christ!

There more that can be said here, but I'll leave it at this:

"When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within
Upward I look and see Him there
Who put an end to all my sin
Because a sinless Savior died
My sinful soul is counted free
For God the Just is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me!" ~Before the Throne of God Above