Our entire nation seems to be under a cloud of guilt—a sense of past failure or error. We look around and see
things not working in our personal lives, family lives, communities, and nation.
Guilt is like a giant weight on the heart and mind that slowly grinds down a person's enthusiasm, hope, and
joy.
A serious detriment to the kingdom of God is a cloud of unworthiness that manifests itself in two ways:
1. Unworthiness to be used by God in various areas of witness, outreach, or ministry.
2. Unworthiness to receive God's abundant blessings.
Memories often come flooding back, along with a built-in guilt message, “And because of that, God can't use
you,” or “Because of your failure, God can't bless you.” Guilt never allows you to forget what you once did.
Christians in many denominations have built a case against themselves that keeps them from receiving all that
God has for them and from doing all that God desires for them to do. Their lack of self-value stalls the work of
the Lord in the world.
• How does guilt make you feel?
• Can you recall a time when guilt kept you (or may have kept you) from taking action for the Lord or receiving
the Lord's blessing?
Guilt is the fear of being found out and being punished for a sin or mistake. We all experience guilt
at some point because we all sin, we all err, we all make mistakes. The question is not whether we experience guilt,
but how we deal with it.
Forgiveness Is the Remedy for Guilt
Forgiveness is the remedy for guilt. A sense of guilt about one's sinful nature is often a factor in a person's
coming to Christ.
Let me remind you of several things about God's forgiveness as we deal with this issue of guilt:
Full provision for forgiveness has already been provided by God for all persons, prior to their asking for
forgiveness or accepting it. Jesus died on the cross as the perfect, complete, and only sacrifice necessary
to free every person from sin.
You don't need to plead for forgiveness or try to impress God that you are worthy to be forgiven. You
need to accept and receive what God has provided through His Son, Jesus Christ. When you ask for forgiveness,
God freely and unconditionally grants it. (See 1 John 1:9.)
Furthermore, you can't do anything that will impress God to forgive you on the basis of your merits. His blameless,
sinless, perfect Son has already died on your behalf. What more could you possibly do? You don't need to die on
a cross to be forgiven. Even if you did so, you aren't a perfect, sinless person. Nothing short of Christ's death
is acceptable to God as a reason for you to be forgiven. No amount of works or charitable deeds will qualify you
for God's free offer of salvation through Christ Jesus. (See Eph. 2:8–9.)
God's forgiveness is not automatic, however. You must accept or receive it. You do this by coming to
your heavenly Father in humility, admitting that you are a sinner in need of forgiveness, acknowledging that Jesus
Christ died on the cross on your behalf, and believing that what He did provides the means of forgiveness for you.
Some people call this an act of confession. You may question why you need to do this if God has already forgiven
you. The purpose is that you might know with certainty in your heart that you are forgiven and then experience
the cleansing power of forgiveness.
The aftermath of receiving God's forgiveness is to repent—which literally means to change your mind—for your
past sins and to make a new choice to follow in the footsteps of Jesus and live according to God's commandments
and statutes. The ability to follow through on this new commitment to right living before the Father comes from
the indwelling power and presence of the Holy Spirit, who joins with your spirit at the time you receive God's
forgiveness and accept Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord.
Thus, God forgives you from past sins, and He enables you not to sin in the future. (See 1 John 5:18.)
Have you taken these steps to receive God's forgiveness in your life? If not, I invite you to do so today.
What the Word Says
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works,
lest anyone should boast (Eph. 2:8–9).
What the Word Says to Me
What the Word Says
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is
faithful and just to for give us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:8–9).
What the Word Says to Me
What the Word Says
We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked
one does not touch him (1 John 5:18).
What the Word Says to Me
You may say to me, “Do you mean that once I have accepted Christ, I will never experience guilt again?”
No, what I'm saying is that a sin nature produces in a person a state of guilt. The person who has never turned
to God and received His forgiveness has a perpetual underlying guilt that she can never escape. The person may
harden her heart to the point that it seems she no longer feels guilty for her sin, but deep inside, during
dark, life-and-death moments, she knows that she is estranged from God and feels her sin and its related guilt.
Sin doesn't exist without its emotional counterpart, guilt.
When you accept Christ as your personal Savior and Lord, you are freed from the state of sin and guilt. From
time to time you may sin, and when that happens, the Holy Spirit brings a conviction that a wrong has been committed
before the Father. Guilt is the warning bell that sin has taken place. Guilt should be the signal for you to go
to the Father and say, “I have sinned. Please cleanse me of this, and help me never to do this again.”
You may be slow in responding to guilt. You allow guilt to build up. Then you may fall into one of these traps:
• “I'm a Christian who should have known better. I don't see how God can forgive me.”
• “I keep committing this same sin. God is not going to forgive me this time.”
• “God knows my weakness, and since He hasn't changed this part of me, He must know that I'm going to continue
to sin in this way.”
• “I've waited too long to ask for God's forgiveness.”
All of these lines of reasoning are in error. God always stands ready to forgive you when you come to Him with
a contrite heart. When you sin, you must go immediately to your loving heavenly Father and ask Him to cleanse
you, renew you, and help you not to sin further.
• Have you had times when you felt guilt for sins you had committed? What did you do? What were the results?
Three Types of Guilt
Guilt is guilt, but the direction of guilt tends to fall into one of these three categories:
1. Guilt toward God. You feel guilty because you have never sought God's forgiveness, or as a Christian,
you have sinned against God.
2. Guilt toward others. You feel guilty because you have sinned against another person.
3. Guilt toward yourself (false guilt). False guilt occurs when you manufacture a feeling of guilt for
something that you erroneously assume you have done, or for something in which you feel you have had a part.
For example, a young woman may feel guilty for having been the victim of incest, rape, or sexual abuse. Even
though she is an innocent victim, she falsely assumes that because she was involved in a sinful act, she bears
responsibility for the sin. Or she may feel that she did something to bring about the sin or contribute to it.
She feels guilt even though before God, she is innocent.
Or a young man may apply for a job and get it, unaware that his friend applied for the same job earlier. He
feels as if he has betrayed his friend. Before God, he is innocent, yet he feels guilty.
Many people carry false guilt with them from their childhood days. They feel guilty for their parents' divorce,
the illness of a grandparent, the injury to a sibling—even though they were not remotely responsible for what transpired.
False guilt is just as real as guilt for sins against God and guilt for sins against others. It feels the same,
and it bears the same consequences. The difference is, false guilt ends up being directed at yourself, and false
guilt is not directly linked to sin. False guilt is guilt without sin.
All three types of guilt are bad. Nothing good comes from unresolved guilt.
• In your past, have you (or someone you know) experienced false guilt? What did you do? What were the results?
Results of Guilt
A load of guilt has many behavioral manifestations in a person's life. These are among them:
A refusal to succeed. A person suffering with guilt tends to undermine his own success, feeling unworthy
of success in the light of what he has done.
A low energy level. Guilt saps energy. The mind continues to be weighed down with memories of the sin
committed (or in which she believes she has participated). The person doesn't exhibit the ambition or fortitude
to move forward or to attempt new challenges.
A loss of joy and peace. The guilty person doesn't know deep, inner contentment. He feels frustrated.
There is a restlessness in the spirit and emotions until forgiveness is received.
Self-punishment. Feeling of little use and unworthy of blessing, the guilty person often tries to punish
herself. In some cases, she does this to try to avert what she believes would be God's punishment.
Feelings of insecurity. The guilty person who has sinned against God feels insecure in his relationship
with God. The one who has sinned against another person feels insecure in his relationship with that person. The
person who suffers from false guilt tends to feel insecure in a general sense.
Physical problems. Guilt carried for long periods of time weighs down and grinds away at the heart and
mind, and eventually that grinding stone seems to affect the physical body. Feeling unworthy, the guilty person
readily engages in physically negative behaviors—addictions, excesses, and a general failure to be concerned about
health.
Increased “works, works, works.” The guilty person sometimes displays a burst of activity that she hopes
will be perceived as good—a heavy dose of charitable or voluntary goodness to balance the sin committed. This is
false recompense because it doesn't involve genuine forgiveness from God or others.
Lack of interest in prayer or involvement in ministry activities. The guilty person doesn't think God
will hear him, bless him, or respond to him and therefore doesn't attempt to communicate with God.
The ultimate consequence of guilt, of course, is that a person is in danger of losing his soul. The more a person
shuts himself off from God and other Christians, the more he isolates himself from forgiveness and wholeness. The
resulting state is misery and isolation. The person goes into hiding from the world.
If you are carrying a load of guilt today, you need to recognize that you may wear a mask that is effective
in hiding your guilt from others, but you cannot stop its deadly and potentially eternal consequences from occurring
on the inside. You need to respond to the guilt by facing your sin and owning up to it, and then seek and receive
God's forgiveness and the forgiveness of others you may have wronged. If you are carrying a load of false guilt,
you need to come to grips with the truth of your situation.
• What insights do you have into the nature of sin and guilt and the resulting consequences?
• In what ways are you feeling challenged today regarding guilt?
Steps for Being Free of Guilt
We have touched on several of the key steps required to be free of guilt, all under the banner of forgiveness.
These steps are summarized below.
1. Face up to the sin that resulted in your guilt. Admit your sin to God. If you have sinned against
another person, confess to that person that you have sinned against him or her.
In facing up to your sin, make certain that it is a sin before God. The sin you think you have committed may
have been a mistake or error or somebody else's sin.
Mistake or error. Unless you have done something willful to rebel against God's Word or to breach your
relationship with God and other people, you likely have made a mistake or error. You certainly can apologize for
mistakes and errors. You can ask God to help you not to repeat the same errors. You can commit yourself to a new
start. Some things that we call sin aren't sin.
On the other hand, our society is quick to dismiss some behaviors that are against God's Word as normal. The
Bible presents a very clear picture of what is sin and what isn't. If you have any doubt about whether you have
sinned, consult the Scriptures.
Somebody else's sin. Own up to whatever role you think you played in a sinful event, but don't assume
blame for something that wasn't your fault. You may be wise to consult someone who can give you godly counsel about
whether you have fault in a situation. Make sure the advice is in line with the Scriptures.
When you confess to God or a person that you have sinned against him, don't try to justify what you did. Simply
state your sin or error. And then ask God or the person to forgive you.
2. Make amends. If you have wronged another person, don't merely try to substitute a request for forgiveness
by doing kind deeds for the person. This same principle holds for your relationship with God. Don't try to substitute
works for genuine forgiveness. In seeking to make amends for a wrong committed against another person, you may
be wise to ask the person what she would consider to be a fair compensation for the hurt or injury, or you may
want to offer compensation of some type. Or the best compensation may be a genuine change in your life (which may
involve counseling or professional help or therapy). Ask God to give you wisdom in identifying appropriate amends.
Also ask Him to give you the courage and the fortitude to follow through on your commitment to the offended person
and to yourself.
3. Accept forgiveness. If you have sinned against God and have repented, you can be assured that He forgives
you. His Word promises that He will, and God is always faithful to His Word.
If you have sinned against another person and he forgives you, accept his words of forgiveness at face value.
Don't try to second-guess his sincerity or motives.
What happens if you confess a sin against another person and the person refuses to forgive you? She bears the
responsibility for failing to forgive; you don't. You have done what the Lord requires of you, and you stand clear
before the Lord.
What about false guilt? Tell God about it. Ask Him to erase from you all feelings of guilt and to heal you of
any damage the false guilt may have caused in your life. Ask Him to help you to forgive yourself fully for any
participation in a sinful activity or incident and to move forward in your life.
The verses of Scripture below relate to guilt, confession, and forgiveness. Keep in mind as you read the Old
Testament references that our definitive sacrifice for all sin has been made by the Lord Jesus Christ. His sacrifice
does not erase the need to seek forgiveness, to confess, or to make amends. It does erase the need to offer sacrifices
to atone for sin.
What the Word Says
And it shall be, when he is guilty in any of these matters, that he shall confess that he has sinned in that thing
(Lev. 5:5).
What the Word Says to Me
What the Word Says
Now while I was speaking, praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication
before the LORD my God for the holy mountain of my God, yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel …
talked with me, and said, “O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you skill to understand” (Dan. 9:20–22).
What the Word Says to Me
What the Word Says
[Jesus said,] “If you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against
you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come
and offer your gift” (Matt. 5:23–24).
What the Word Says to Me
What the Word Says
Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed (James 5:16).
What the Word Says to Me
4. Weave this experience into an area of service to others. Use your experience as a foundation stone
in helping others. That way, you turn a negative into a positive. When you help others who have sinned in a similar
way, or who are in danger of sinning as you have, you become a blessing to others. In no way is this a compensation
for your past. Rather, it is an expression that you truly have received God's forgiveness and you are going forward
in your life to love and help others. Your witness must not exalt or attempt to exonerate your own past error;
it must point others to the saving grace and love of God.
5. Praise God for His generous forgiveness. Our heavenly Father is worthy of our constant praise, and
certainly so when it comes to our redemption—our salvation, our ongoing transformation into the likeness of Christ,
our spiritual growth and development. We are His children.
Praise is part of receiving forgiveness. It is a sign to yourself, to God, and to others that you truly
have accepted God's forgiveness and have forgiven yourself.
Praise God, too, when others forgive you. It is an expression of God's forgiveness every time another person
forgives you. Accept it as such.
What the Word Says
Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns
a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins (James 5:19–20).
What the Word Says to Me
What the Word Says
Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
The God of my salvation,
And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
O Lord, open my lips,
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise…
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart—
These, O God, You will not despise (Ps. 51:14–15, 17).
What the Word Says to Me
How Much Will God Forgive?
Can you always count on God's forgiveness? Yes, always. God will forgive you of your sins committed against
Him. God will forgive you of your trespasses against others; He will strengthen you and help you as you confess
your sin to others and ask their forgiveness. God will heal you of false guilt and help you to put completely into
the forgiven past the sins of others in which you were involved.
One day Peter asked Jesus, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven
times?” Jesus replied, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.” (See Matt. 18:21–22.)
This number—seventy times seven—refers to an unlimited perfection of forgiveness. We are to forgive others without
end. Would Jesus ask Peter to do something that God wouldn't do? No. Our Father holds out unlimited forgiveness
to us. We need to come to Him and receive it.
Does this give a license to sin? No. People who think they can sin because they can always come to God for forgiveness
make a serious error. In the first place, true believers have no desire to sin. People who think salvation gives
them permission to sin and then be forgiven repeatedly may not ever have experienced a true spiritual conversion.
In the second place, people who repeatedly sin and then seek forgiveness develop a hardened heart—a callous attitude
toward their behavior and a cavalier attitude toward God's mercy. Finally, people who sin must face the consequences
for the sins. Forgiveness does not erase consequence. The Lord chastises those who sin until they seek and accept
forgiveness; the consequences of sin are related to the perfection of God's law. The soul may be cleansed and redeemed,
but people reap what they sow in their bodies, relationships, material possessions, and other areas of the natural
life.
The Scriptures tell us, “Do not be deceived: ‘Evil company corrupts good habits.’ Awake to righteousness, and
do not sin” (1 Cor. 15:33–34).
• What new insights do you have into the relationship between sin, guilt, and forgiveness?
Today Is the Day!
The time has come to be free of guilt! Make today your day to turn to God for forgiveness, to make an appointment
with a person you have wronged, to face up to any false guilt weighing you down and keeping you from all that God
has for you, and all that God desires to do in you and through you.
If you have never accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, make today your day of salvation.
Any time you feel a twinge of guilt, turn to the Lord quickly. Face up to your sin, confess it, receive the
Lord's forgiveness for it, and leave the incident behind you.
To receive forgiveness is to experience freedom!
From Becoming Emotionally Whole: Overcome Negative Emotions and Become
Happier and Healthier by Charles Stanley. Copyright 1996 by Charles Stanley.
