Good and Bad Guilt?

Guilt can be a merciless taskmaster that drives us far from God. Or, guilt can gently lead us back to a right relationship with Him, more fully convinced than ever of the Father's love. How we respond to guilt today can determine our success in life for years to come. It can even determine where we will spend eternity.

Listening to Our Guilt

The Bible says we are created in God's image and His glory. This wonderful privilege of bearing His image also holds out the requirement that we live righteous lives. When we do something that conflicts with our sense of right and wrong, an alarming thing happens: we feel guilty.

If you are feeling guilty, then this internal moral compass is sounding an alarm indicating that you may have sinned. And sin separates us from God.

That's why it is important to listen carefully to your guilt. Don't just try to ignore those nagging feelings of moral ill. Listen to your heart. Then determine to find out what's causing your guilty conscience.

Guilty as Charged

Even as you read these words, you may be coming to a realization of the source of your guilt. Perhaps you have offended someone. Or you have done something you know God did not want you to do.

Guilt can arise from things we say and do that directly violate God's law. Even if we are not familiar with a specific Bible passage, God has given us a law that is written on our hearts and helps us know when we have sinned (Romans 2:15).

True guilt is God's way of warning us to repent and turn away from our sins so He can forgive us, cleanse us and make us entirely guilt-free. The fact is, the Bible says "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). Another passage says "the Scripture has shut up all men under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe" (Gal. 3:22).

Guilt is a fact of life because sin is a fact of life. And our sin has the consequences of death (Romans 6:23). But God does not leave you "shut up" under the emotional burden and deadly consequences of sin. He has made a way to break free from our sin and guilt.

God's Answer for Guilt

God works through everything that happens in our lives, including guilt, to draw us to Jesus (John 6:44,45; John 14:6; Romans 8:28,29). No matter what you have done, God has made a way home - through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Jesus lived a perfectly sinless life, yet He was willing to die on the cross and receive the punishment we deserved. His death on the cross and triumphant resurrection secures for you all the blessings of God, including forgiveness. All you have to do is repent an turn your life over to Jesus (Acts 3:19).

This is what the Bible calls being "born again" of the Spirit of God (John 3:3,5). We enter into the born-again experience by repenting of our sin, yielding our lives to Jesus as Savior and Lord, and trusting in faith that He will forgive and cleanse us from all sin (Romans 3:23; Romans 10:13; 1 John 1:8-9; John 1:12).

Guilt-Free Living

God's answer for sin and guilt accomplishes what no amount of human effort could manage. Thanks to the blood of Christ, we can "draw near" to God "in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water" (Heb. 10:22).

This cleansing is not just a one-time event. Every time the Holy Spirit prompts our spirit that we have sinned, we can return to His throne of grace to receive mercy (Heb. 4:16). If we fail to respond to guilt in repentance, we can expect God to continue to work in our lives until we come to Him in humility. For God desires children who can serve Him with a "clear conscience" (1Tim. 3:9).

Having a clear conscience also requires that we walk in humility and repentance towards those around us. Be sure to seek forgiveness and to forgive.

Taking On the Accuser

At times, the enemy of our soul, Satan uses guilt to keep us from the Lord. The Bible describes Satan as the "accuser of the brethren" who appears before God day and night with accusations against believers (see Rev. 12:10).

These accusations leave us feeling as if God has not forgiven - or will not forgive - us. We respond in shame, anger, bitterness, and depression - which further drives us from God's presence.

This kind of guilt - a guilt that does not leave even after we repent and turn to Jesus for cleansing - is not from God. As we have seen, the blood of Christ fully satisfies God's righteousness. Thus, "there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1).

If you have repented of your sins but still feel the accuser lurking in the shadows, confront the accusations with God's Word. As Jesus said, "If therefore the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed" (John 8:36). Walk in that freedom.

As You Pray

God wants to free you from anything that would hinder your full life and liberty in Him. If you are dealing with guilt, choose the path that leads to life; repentance. Then stay on that path by fully accepting God's forgiveness and cleansing:

"Father, I confess my sins to You. Thank You for forgiving me of every sin I have ever committed. And thank You for releasing me from the burden of guilt. Help me to continue living every day for You. Amen."

God's Word on Guilt

"Since therefore, brethren, we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is His flesh, ... let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water." (Heb. 10:19,20,22)

Scriptures For Study

Romans 6:23 -- Wages of sin; gift of God

1 Timothy 4:2 -- Effect of lying on our conscience

1 John 1:9 -- God's faithfulness to forgive

Jeremiah 31:34 -- No remembrance of sin

John 1:12; John 5:24; John 8:36 -- Belief in Christ delivers from sin

Romans 6:18, 22; Romans 8:1 -- Freedom from sin and guilt

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible.