For more than 50 years I lived in guilt. Even though I knew I was forgiven by God. I had been abused at eight years old and I could never tell anybody about it. At least I felt I could not speak about it because I had made my abuse my own and I felt ashamed. In later years I felt afraid to be found out because I could possibly be rejected. I also wanted to be in the ministry so badly that I was afraid I would not be accepted and not be given a leadership position in the ministry.
Guilt, doubtless stands as one of the most distressing emotions a human being can endure. It burdens individuals, the same as bearing a weighty load of remorse inside of yourself. The majority of individuals eagerly try to avoid this remarkably uncomfortable sensation. Shame can be defined as a state of profound humiliation or disfavour. It happens when individuals fail to meet the expectations set by others, and encompasses feelings of remorse and embarrassment for not living up to the standards they believe you should uphold.
The basic motivation behind giving in to these compulsions is the desire to deaden oneself from the painful experience of shame. Sadly, giving in to these compulsions only amplifies the feeling of shame, thus reinforcing its strength. Ultimately, this subconscious cycle becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, satisfying an indescribable desire within.
When something takes hold of inner thoughts and emotions, it inevitably shapes behaviour and actions over time.
The Law will bring guilt, shame, and fear to people, especially if they are exposed to it over and over again. There is no person who can obey the law fully. This makes all people guilty.
In the face of guilt, individuals employ various coping mechanisms. Some opt to suppress or deny it, while others attempt to rationalize their guilt by telling themselves, "I admit to my flaws, but at heart, I am a fundamentally decent person. I have never intentionally caused harm to anyone." Nevertheless, no matter how hard we strive to relinquish our feelings of guilt, there remains an unwavering truth: we are undeniably guilty of committing sins in the eyes of God.
Fortunately, there is a comforting revelation that God is fully aware of our vulnerabilities, and understands them perfectly. Additionally, we must acknowledge that we possess no inherent capability to alleviate our feelings of guilt or to abstain from committing sins.
God’s answer for our guilt is the cross of Jesus Christ, where He bore the punishment that we deserve.
Human beings will condemn and judge the sinner to protect themselves and the doctrine they themselves believe.
This is exactly what the scribes and Pharisees did with the adulterous Woman.
John 8:1-11 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 Early in the morning He came back into the temple [court], and all the people were coming to Him. He sat down and began teaching them. 3 Now the scribes and Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery. They made her stand in the centre of the court, 4 and they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the very act of adultery. 5 Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women [to death]. So what do You say [to do with her—what is Your sentence]?” 6 They said this to test Him, hoping that they would have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and began writing on the ground with His finger. 7 However, when they persisted in questioning Him, He straightened up and said, “He who is without [any] sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Then He stooped down again and started writing on the ground. 9 They listened [to His reply], and they began to go out one by one, starting with the oldest ones, until He was left alone, with the woman [standing there before Him] in the centre of the court. 10 Straightening up, Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” 11 She answered, “No one, Lord!” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you either. Go. From now on sin no more.”
John 3:16-18 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
In the instance with the adulteress woman, they shamed her and condemned her but Jesus saved her from both her sin and shame.
We too are saved from guilt by God justifying us. Justification is an act of God whereby He pronounces a sinner to be righteous. A simple meaning of justification is to be made, “just as though we have never sinned”.
Condemnation pronounces a person unfit for use, or guilty. By our own words, we can be without guilt, or we can pronounce ourselves guilty and unfit for the use of God.
We cannot reform or redeem ourselves with our desires and lusts. So many have tried to "behave" so as to please God. We have put our flesh under laws and rules and regulations and tried to do good. It hasn’t worked! It cannot be done! We sin because we are guilty and we are guilty because we sin.
Guilt continues to tell us that we are worthless, we are therefore unable to be acceptable and as a result, we continue in our sin.
A pastor once told me, “Colin your problem is not sin, it is guilt”.
Sin becomes appealing and although we keep repenting, we actually still enjoy the sin. The flesh still wants to sin. The flesh still flies off the handle, thinks evil thoughts, makes bad choices, criticizes others, is fearful, deceitful, selfish, and many other unwanted behaviours. That which is born of the flesh is flesh. That’s how flesh is. Flesh can’t be any different! You can’t make flesh holy. It’s born of the wrong seed.
Romans 8:5-7 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.
Our first step is to believe in what Jesus has already accomplished for us when He died on the cross, and because Jesus was the only perfect man, sin could not hold Him down. Jesus rose again victorious over sin and death. Jesus ascended to be seated on the right of His Father far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. Ephesians 1:20-21
The power of sin is in its secrecy. Because of a fear of shame, we remain guilty and try in our own strength to overcome those inner struggles. My greatest freedom came when I identified with Jesus and died with Jesus on the cross.
Experiencing a deep sense of guilt and living in constant fear of being exposed is an utterly dreadful position to be in. Continuously being on edge and consciously scanning your surroundings, fearing that someone may stumble upon your concealed wrongdoing, creates an overwhelmingly oppressive atmosphere. On the other hand, being liberated from guilt is an extraordinarily blissful state to realize oneself in.
Once we have identified with Jesus Christ in His death and resurrection, we understand that when He died, we died with Him. The old man is dead, and no longer lives. Your old man with all its guilt and shame is no longer alive. We have now risen into Christ Jesus and He is our new life.
Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
Romans 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.
When I realized this amazing truth and considered my old man to be dead and now risen a new man in Jesus Christ. The old Colin has no comparison to the new Colin. This is what it is to be born again. To be born of the Spirit.
That which is born of the spirit is spirit, is your regenerated spirit and it is like Christ. You don’t have to try to make it like Christ. It is! And that’s the real you! That’s the new man that you are! That’s the spiritual man, the heavenly man, the divine man. Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
Jesus came into the world not to condemn the world but save the world not only from guilt but to take away our sins.
1 John 3:5 And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him, there is no sin.
His primary mission is to eliminate sin completely - to eradicate it from the depths of our hearts, to banish it from the face of the earth, and even to cast it into the bottomless abyss of non-existence, far away from God's presence. This represents Christ's sacred crusade, a battle of utmost significance. He entered our world, bearing this mission, and has firmly implanted it in the very core of our existence, reaching into the hide-out of our hearts.
Our deliverance from sin is dependent upon the living Christ Who lives in us by the Holy Spirit.
Zechariah 4:6 So he answered and said to me: “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts.
Ephesians 1:13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,
Back to the story of the adulteress woman who was brought to Jesus. John 8:10 Straightening up, Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” 11 She answered, “No one, Lord!” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you either. Go. From now on sin no more.”
Jesus poses a gentle question that assists her in recognizing the profound truth that not only does he safeguard her from the judgment of those around her, but he also refrains from condemning her. Being the sole rightful judge, he instructs her to embrace a new way of life, devoid of guilt and shame.
The scripture does not tell us much about the woman's emotional state. In my personal experience, guilt has been overwhelming. However, when I encountered God and underwent a transformative process, I learned to differentiate between profound conviction by the Holy Spirit, which paves the path to liberation, and counterfeit guilt that ultimately results in immobilizing shame.
Feeling a sense of false guilt can be crippling. It has the ability to cloud perception, hindering the ability to see oneself correctly and acknowledge flaws while obstructing a clear view of God's thoughts toward you. False guilt often redirects attention towards an intense worry regarding the views others hold about us. You become acutely aware of the criticism you may face, whether actual or fabricated.
Unlike the crippling effect of false guilt, true conviction sees a way forward. Jesus said, “Go and sin no more”.
The conviction brought by the Holy Spirit originates from a place of love rather than fear. Its primary goal is to provide guidance and rectify, rather than to inflict torment.
1 John 4:17 In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment because in this world we are like Him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
Hebrews 12 5 And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. 6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”
As individuals, when we engage in sinful behaviour, we must bear the consequences of our actions while also facing the loving discipline of our Father. Our status as God's children does not absolve us from our duties and obligations. However, it is essential to understand that the repercussions of our sin will not sever our relationship with God or jeopardize the protection we have in Christ.
If you currently find yourself burdened with guilt, much like I have in the past, and if you feel overwhelmed despite being convicted by the Holy Spirit, imagine the transformative impact of hearing Jesus proclaim, "You are forgiven." In that very moment, all traces of condemnation vanish, any shame is completely wiped away, and you are engulfed in an overwhelming sense of immense joy, liberated from the shackles of guilt.
At this moment Jesus stands in front of you to forgive and set you free. Receive your forgiveness and consider yourself dead to your past right now. Say no to condemnation and the accusing fingers of others and yourself. Go and sin no more.
You are loved you are valuable
Amen
