Guilt is a cognitive or an emotional experience that occurs when a person believes or

realizesaccurately or notthat he or she has compromised his or her own standards

of conduct or has violated a moral standard and bears significant responsibility for that
violation. It is closely related to the concept of remorse.
Sin is a reality with which we all must live. No one can escape the struggles we have
with rebelling against Gods call on our lives (cf. Romans 3:10-23). However, it is
possible to choose whether one will vigorously fight the battle that wages against the
flesh or not. The battle can be overwhelming, but it does not have to result in
demoralizing defeat.
It is not unusual for Christians to feel guilty because of sin in their lives, and to have
problems dealing with that guilt and sin. We think that once we have become Christians,
we will no longer have a struggle with sin, and that through Christ we will have power to
overcome it. Actually, Paul talks about his struggle with sin in Romans 7:18,19: "I know
that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do
what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the
evil I do not want to do this I keep on doing.

God's Only Remedy for Sin and Guilt Is Jesus

God's Forgiveness Includes a Cleansed Conscience
God Gave Us a Conscience to Make Us Aware of Sin
God's Only Remedy for Sin and Guilt Is Jesus
God's Forgiveness Includes a Cleansed Conscience
Through Christ, Sin is Gone Forever
God Forgives Us by Grace through Faith in Christ
Sin Damages Our Fellowship with God
Confession Is Required for Guilt to Be Removed
We Need a Clean Conscience to Serve God
Hebrews 9:14 provides an interesting insight about the result of our cleansing and
forgiveness. God does this, the writer of Hebrews explains, "that we may serve the
living God."

Guilt keeps us from serving God. Yet God can even use the sins we have committed to
make us more effective in our work for Him. Only when we refuse God's provision for
forgiveness, for cleansing, and for a new beginning are we incapacitated by our past
sins. That's why it is important for us to remember:

Satan wants us to be immobilized by guilt.

We have an enemy whose main purpose is to keep us from serving the Lord. In
Scripture he is called the "accuser" of believers. If you continue to feel guilty for forgiven
sins, you are hearing the voice of the enemy, not the Holy Spirit. Satan is a liar. Reject
the fiery darts he shoots at your mind by holding up the shield of faith in the finished
work of your Savior, and the devil will flee from you.

If guilt is the obstacle that has kept you from growing in your spiritual life, won't you lay
down your burden at the cross? Accept God's forgiveness. Let Him cleanse your
conscience. And commit yourself to living in obedience to God's Word and to the
guidance of the Holy Spirit, who lives within you. Your burden of guilt will be liftedonce
and for all.

The beauty of the cross is that we are clearly judged to be sinners but given a new
identity as redeemed, children of God, and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. We do not
have to hide our sin or justify it because Jesus has paid the penalty for us, bringing us
undeserved forgiveness. He hides our sin as far as the east is from the west, and he
justifies us by his shed blood. However, until we reach heaven, we, the redeemed,
wrestle with the realities of that old flesh (cf. Romans 7). It does no good to be
pretentious about our sin. It is useless to pretend that we are better than we are. I would
rarely advocate wearing our sin on our sleeve, but it is futile to deny it or pretend it
does not exist.

When we accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we experienced the wonderful
cleansing power of His blood, which was shed on the cross for us over 2,000 years
ago. We had an overwhelming feeling of freedom and release from the bondage of sin
and death when we first repented from our old lives and turned to Christ. Then, the
following dilemma began to occur as the weeks and months went by we found
ourselves tempted to return to sinful patterns of thinking and acting. It became difficult to
accept that we would still continue to sin because we are children of the King: righteous,
new creations in Christ, called to be holy as He is holy.

But the truth is, we are still sinners and will always battle with sin in our lives because
we are inwardly bent towards sin. That is the reason God says in His Word that we need
to confess our sins and rely on His promise to cleanse us:

"Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, 'I will
confess my transgressions to the LORD' and you forgave the guilt of my sin.
(Psalm 32:5)

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you
may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. (James
5:16)
 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and
purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

"There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." (Romans 8:1)

Remember that God's love covers a multitude of sins" (1 Peter 4:8). We don't know our
hearts very well, but God knows us and His forgiveness is complete and eternal
because Jesus Christ has paid the penalty for our sins and "not for our sins only, but the
sins of the whole world" (1 John 2:1-2).

Take Action

1. Know That You're Forgiven

You are no longer condemned. You are forgiven! You are His child. You can
make a new start every time you sin... just sincerely confess it and ask God to
change you from the inside out. Philippians 4:13 says, "I can do all things through
Christ who strengthens me." If you have repeatedly fallen into the same sin such
as, lying, unforgiveness, substance abuse, gossiping, etc., then go to your
pastor, a mentor, or a Christian counselor and ask for their guidance, prayer, and
instruction on how to stay strong when you're tempted to sin.

2. Preach the Gospel to Yourself

Memorize the following Scriptures so that you can begin relying on Gods Word
and the assurance of forgiveness He offers you in Christ, rather than the self-
condemnation you may be thinking and feeling.

o And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the
body of Jesus Christ once for all. Day after day every priest stands and
performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same
sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest had
offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of
God. Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool,
because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are
being made holy. (Hebrews 10:10-14)

o In him (Christ) we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of

sins, in accordance with the riches of Gods grace. (Ephesians 1:7)

o He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our

iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His
love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has
He removed our transgressions from us. (Psalm 103:10-12)

Dicusss these verses

o For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is
guilty of breaking all of it. James 2.10

o Luke 17 3

o Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore

such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also
be tempted. Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

o Proverbs 28:13 He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, But
he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion.
o Psalm 90:8 You have placed our iniquities before You, Our secret sins in
the light of Your presence.
o Psalm 19:12 Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults.
o 2 Kings 17:9 The sons of Israel did things secretly which were not right
against the LORD their God. Moreover, they built for themselves high
places in all their towns, from watchtower to fortified city.
o Isaiah 29:15 Woe to those who deeply hide their plans from the LORD,
And whose deeds are done in a dark place, And they say, "Who sees us?"
or "Who knows us?"
o Ezekiel 8:12 Then He said to me, "Son of man, do you see what the elders
of the house of Israel are committing in the dark, each man in the room of
his carved images? For they say, 'The LORD does not see us; the LORD
has forsaken the land.'"