Guilt - Quit Holding On To It

Guilt: we all experience it, even if we don’t want to admit it. Most of us have lain awake at night, staring at the ceiling and regretting something we’ve done. And if you don’t do something about it, guilt can eat you up inside and take away any chance at living the life that the Lord wants you to.

Let me offer up some experience with the topic. You may or may not know I volunteer for an online ministry chat website at www.jesuscares.com. We’re called “coaches,” but I prefer the term “ministers” because that’s a little closer to what we do. People can come to our site and talk about anything and everything.

Guilt will weigh you down if you don't get rid of it.

They often have questions about Christianity, life struggles, sin, and many other topics too numerous to mention. The one thing that’s stood out lately is guilt. People are holding onto sins even after they’ve prayed, asked for forgiveness, and turned from their sin. They have a difficult time forgiving themselves, which opens a window for the enemy to attack.

Satan and his minions love to remind us of our sin. “Hey, remember when you did such-and-such? There’s NO WAY God can forgive you of sin like that!” You know that’s not true, right? You battle thoughts like that with the Word of God. How often does the Bible talk about forgiveness?

It depends on the Bible version you read, but I can tell you the concept of forgiveness is mentioned in the NIV a lot. The word “forgive” appears 42 times in the Old Testament and 33 times in the New Testament. The word “forgiven” appears 17 times in the Old Testament and 28 times in the New Testament. The word “forgiving” appears six times in the OT and one time in the NT.

So clearly, the concept of forgiveness is an important thing to God. But if we have trouble taking Him at His Word and accepting His forgiveness, what are the consequences?

In his book, “A Forgiving God in an Unforgiving World,” author Ron Lee Davis tells the true story of a priest in the Philippines, a well-loved man of God who carried the burden of a secret sin he’d committed many years before. He still had no peace and no sense of God’s forgiveness.

His parish included a woman who loved God deeply. However, she claimed to have visions in which she spoke with Jesus and He with her. Understandably, the priest was skeptical. To test her, he said, “The next time you speak with the Lord, ask Him what sin your priest committed in seminary,” to which she quickly agreed.

A few days later, the priest asked her, “So, did Christ visit your dreams?” She quickly replied, “He did!” The priest says, “Did you ask Him about the sin I committed in seminary?” The woman responded with, “Yes.”

The priest, now curious himself, says, “Well, what did He say?” She came back with a simple answer: “He said, ‘I don’t remember.’”

When God forgives, He forgets!

He freely offers forgiveness - stop holding onto it

Let me offer proof in Isaiah 43:25 points out that “I am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake (His choice to do so) and I will not remember your sins.”

Psalm 103:11-12 (NIV): “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.”

Does that give you hope? Are you holding on to sin when you should let it go? Why? Honest question here: Are we crucifying Christ a second time if we don’t accept that forgiveness and hold on to our sin?

1 John 1:9 – “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” It doesn’t say He MIGHT forgive our sins. He will.

“But Chad, how can God forgive me for what I’ve done?” I know. We’ve all had those thoughts from time to time. Reread those Bible verses I shared with you. Do you believe they’re true? Can you come up with the internal strength to believe that you’re forgiven, even when your feelings won’t let you? You can with the help of the Holy Spirit, the Counselor that Jesus sent when He returned to Heaven.

Claim God’s promises when those thoughts hit. Human feelings can often paint a picture that’s not reality. Make the Bible your reality and take up the only offensive weapon in the Armor of God. Jesus did when He faced temptation, and you can too! Read and recite those verses out loud in the name of Jesus when trouble comes.

The devil goes running from the name of Jesus! The truth is simple in that there is no sin that God cannot forgive. And the thing is, He WANTS to forgive you. It’s why He sent Jesus to Earth to take our place on the Cross. It’s out of love for you.

Accept His forgiveness and live in the hope He offers!