GOD HELPS US WITH GUILT FEELINGS
It is not the Lord’s will that we disobey or deny him; but he will always help us deal with our feeling of guilt from being unfaithful to him when we come to him (1 John 1:8-9; Romans 6:23).
THE BIBLE SHOWS THAT GOD FORGIVES AND HELPS WITH GUILT
ADAM AND EVE felt guilty after disobeying God. Experiencing a sense of guilt and nakedness, they tried to hide from God. To help them deal with their guilt, God slew an animal and used its skin to cover their feelings of nakedness and guilt. This animal sacrifice foreshadowed the atoning blood of Jesus Christ to cover the sins of mankind who trust in God for help (Genesis, chapter 3; 1 Peter 1:18-20).
A WOMAN WITH MANY SINS came and knelt at Jesus’ feet, cried, washed his feet with her tears, dried his feet with hair and anointed them with precious perfume. Jesus forgave all of her sins (luke7:47-48).
PETER felt guilty after denying three times that he knew the Lord Jesus Christ. Guilt from his denial caused Peter to weep grievously (John 18:15-27). After Jesus was crucified and resurrected, he allowed Peter three chances to affirm his love for the Lord. Jesus forgave him. (John 21:15).
DANGERS OF FEELING GOD WON’T FORGIVE YOU
After Judas betrayed Christ, the devil evidently made Judas feel he was beyond God’s forgiveness. Apparently feeling guilty and beyond the Lord’s forgiveness, Judas committed suicide (Matthew 27:3-5). He evidently did not believe Jesus when he said: “Every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven…” (Matthew 12:31-32).
A client of mine, in a treatment program, felt guilty about having committed many sins. He said several times he waded into deep water because he “felt like ending it all,” due to his unacceptable and uncontrollable lifestyle. He apparent was not aware of or convinced that the Lord would forgive him, as Jesus had forgiven a woman with many sins (Luke 7:44-47). He needed to know that Jesus “is able to save to the uttermost” those who come to him (Mat. 12:31; Hebrews 7:25).
BEWARE THE DEVIL IS OUR FALSE ACCUSER
The devil is our accuser before God (Revelation 12:9-10). In the Bible book of Job, the devil tried to make Job feel guilty when God said Job was “blameless and upright” (Job 1:1). In the devil’s attempt to exploit Job’s suffering, after contributing to Job’s pain, the devil used three of Job’s friends to try to pressure him into admitting he was guilty of having done wrong against God. However, having communed with God, and knowing God deemed him “blameless,” Job was able to maintained his integrity.
The devil has tried to make me feel guilty about past failures that God had forgiven me for. He has tried to accuse and condemn me for weaknesses which the Holy Spirit is working on. The devil may try to lay a guilt trips on you, as he has tried on me. A guilt funk could interfere with your communication with the Lord and our brethren. And it could hinder your witnessing and working for the Lord. What the enemy of our souls intends for harm, God uses for our good. God uses even our past failures and trials for our growth and his glory (Romans 8:28).
BELIEVE THE LORD IS OUR HELPER
We should endeavor to obey the Lord. “But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate…before the Father. He is Jesus Christ.” (1 John 2:1). Rather than hiding, weeping or denying when we disobey God, we need to seek the Lord, confess our sins, repent and ask God for forgiveness (1 John 1:8-9). Because of the atoning blood of his Son Jesus Christ, God will cover our sins and restore us to a proper relationship with him, as he did with the woman with many sins, and with Peter who denied him(John 3:16).
God does not only covers our sin with the blood of Jesus. He gives us the Holy Spirit as our helper to help us avoid continually sinning and feeling guilty (John 14:16). God predestines us to be conformed to the likeness of his Son Jesus Christ (Romans 8:2).
