The guilt of sin…we all experience it and we all deal with it. Because it weighs on our conscience and determines our course in life, physically and eternally, we seek to a remedy that will allow us to be justified and ease our hearts and minds. For most people the solution is ultimately insufficient because we desire to be justified while at the same time wanting to live in accordance with the flesh. We want to “have our cake and eat it too.” So men…
- Ignore the sin in hopes that time will ease our guilt. But time is not sufficient for the task; so we flounder in a state of despair.
- Seek justification in human wisdom and morality. But mankind, who does not have the ability to reason away the shame of sin (Jeremiah 10:23; Isaiah 55:7-9)
- Try to alter or reinterpret God’s Word to ease the culpability of transgression. But it is God’s Word that will judge us in the end (John 12:48). And so men have always been warned by God not to choose this path (Deuteronomy 4:2; Proverbs 30:6; Revelation 22:18-19). Certainly those who do will not find the comfort they desire, although for a time they might have a false sense of security, for ultimately to twist the word of God is to contribute to one’s own destruction (2 Peter 3:16).
There is only one prescription powerful enough to get rid of guilt? And only God can write it! In Romans 4:6-8 we read that the blessed man is the one to whom God does not reckon sin. Since we have all sinned and continue to fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23; 5:12) we all have earned a guilty sentence. No man can undo what he has done and time, human reasoning, and not even a misunderstanding of God’s Word will acquit us.
King David was guilty of terrible sins (adultery, murder, lying) and yet he experienced the joy of forgiveness and an eased conscience. We, too, can have this elation when we…
- Quit denying our guilt and recognize that we have sinned.
- Admit our guilt to God and act in faithfulness to His will.
- Let go of our guilt and believe that God has forgiven us.
“This can be difficult when a sin has taken root in our life over many years, when it is very serious, or when it involves others. We must remember that Jesus is willing and able to forgive every sin.”
If you are not a Christian the only place you can find the peace that passes all understanding and is able to keep our hearts and minds is in Christ (Philippians 4:7). Repent of the sin in your life (Luke 13:3, 5), Confess your faith in Jesus as the only begotten Son of God (Romans 10:9), and be immersed with him in baptism to have your sins washed away (Acts 2:38; Romans 6:3-6; 1 Peter 3:21). And if you are a Christian it is important to repent of any ongoing sin in your life, confess it unto the Lord, and prayer for forgiveness (Revelation 2:5; 1 John 1:9; Acts 8:22).
You do not have to live with a guilty conscience one more day. Obey Him and be faithful! This life and the one to come are too wonderful to waste another moment not knowing the peace of Jesus Christ.