Guilt - The One Year Book of Hope

Guilt

God can use sorrow in our lives to help us turn away from sin and seek salvation. We will never regret that kind of sorrow. But sorrow without repentance is the kind that results in death. –2 Corinthians 7:10

Guilt seems like a constant companion to grief. The “if onlys” that plague our thoughts can leave us swimming in a pool of regret. Our binges and blowups, compromises and capitulations can so fill us with guilt, there is no room left for joy.

The truth is, we’re all guilty. But our very real guilt has been dealt with at the Cross. We know that in our heads, don’t we? Our problem is that we still feel guilty. These feelings of guilt are our warped way of trying to pay for our sin ourselves. It just seems too good to be true that Jesus has paid the debt we owe, so we continue to try to pay by tormenting ourselves with self-condemnation. Our unwillingness to let go of guilt feelings reveals that we don’t really believe Jesus’ payment for our sin was adequate.

Wouldn’t you like to begin living in the reality that your sin has been paid for completely by Jesus? Guilt loses its destructive power in our lives when it is exposed to the light and truth of God. But you should know that there is a good kind of guilt. This is the guilt we experience when we are under conviction, and this kind of guilt is not to be rejected, but welcomed. Conviction is the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives to reveal to us our ongoing sin. But the Holy Spirit doesn’t convict us so we will feel guilty. He convicts us so we will confess our sin and change our behavior. Conviction is what God uses to correct and protect us, not to burden us with feelings of guilt. Conviction is the gift of God that clears the way for our joy to be restored.

Is the guilt you feel conviction from the Holy Spirit—godly sorrow that leads to repentance and restoration? Or is it false guilt—self-condemnation that has filled you with the pain of regret and keeps trying to make you pay? Ask God to show you. Confess your sin and stop punishing yourself. Ask God to restore the joy that guilt has stolen from you.

Gracious Savior, I’m tired of living with this regret, under this guilt. Send your Holy Spirit to convict me so I can repent and be set free. Remind me of your sufficient sacrifice for sin so I won’t allow false guilt to rob me of joy.

DIGGING DEEPER