Freedom from Guilt

May 9, 2025

Unresolved guilt can be a terrible force of destruction in our lives.  We have all had a guilty conscience at one time or another.  We have all felt that knot in our stomach or faced a restless night because we have done wrong.  These are not pleasant feelings, but generally speaking, the feeling of guilt is necessary.  Our conscience creates guilt within us when we know we have done wrong, and this is a blessing!  Guilt is a signal to us that we need to confess our sin to God, turn from the path we are on, and seek forgiveness.  Thank God for a good conscience that warns us and calls us back to the right path.

But sometimes, people who have long ago been forgiven by God are still living their lives being pressed down with a heavy weight of guilt and shame. If our conscience hasn’t been fully convicted of God’s forgiveness, many serious problems will result.  A Christian who has been forgiven but doesn’t know it or believe it, can struggle with anxiety and depression.  They can struggle with feeling distant from God because they believe He is continually disappointed in them and frowning at them. And so, they stay away from God.  They may stay away from God’s people, or feel very uncomfortable around them, thinking things like, “If these people really knew who I am, they wouldn’t accept me.”  These kinds of feelings are very harmful for spiritual health and growth.

How can we overcome these feelings of unwarranted guilt?  We have to understand the nature of God and learn to trust in His forgiveness.  Listen to these words of David,

“The LORD is compassionate and gracious, Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.

 He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever.

 He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him.

 As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103:8-12 NAS95)

Do you realize the nature of God?  He is compassionate!  He is gracious!  He abounds in love!  He will not stay angry forever.  He does not deal with us according to our sins.  No, He is gracious and forgiving.  Understanding these things about God will help us to trust in His forgiveness.

Do you realize the completeness of His forgiveness?  His love for His children is immeasurable, and as such, the completeness of His forgiveness is immeasurable.  He has removed our sins from us as far as the east is from the west.  When God forgives you, He will never remember your sins against you again!  They are gone forever.

You and I have found complete forgiveness in Jesus Christ.  Let’s not let the sins of our past haunt us and weigh us down anymore.  If God has forgiven them, they are forgiven and forgotten forever!  And when we sin, let us confess our sins, turn back to the light, and trust that the blood of Jesus keeps us continually cleansed in His sight! (1 John 1:9) 

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Posted by Scott Colvin

Acknowledging Sin

June 28, 2022

Have you ever been engaged in sin but refused to admit it to yourself or to God?  We sometimes rationalize our sin, or make excuses for it, or pretend that it’s not a big deal.  This is a very dangerous game.  Unacknowledged, unforgiven sin in our lives will lead to feelings of guilt.  Unresolved guilt is a powerful force that can have a devastating effect on your life.

Listen to the experience of David when he refused to acknowledge his sin.  “When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long.  For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer.” (Psalm 32:3-4 NASB) What did David experience when he kept silent about his sin?  He suffered severe physical and emotional consequences.  The Lord’s hand was pressing heavily upon him, and it was causing his body to waste away and become weak.  It was causing him to groan all day long.  I am convinced that the Lord pressed His hand down upon David out of love for his soul—to try to get his attention and to get him to confess his sins and turn away from them before it was too late. 

It is interesting to note how sin can also have such a profound effect on our bodies.  Of course, it would be incorrect to think that anytime we have physical ailments it is because we have sinned.  This is clearly not true.  But if we are practicing sin and refusing to acknowledge it to the Lord, physical and emotional anguish can certainly come as a result.

What do we need to do?  Instead of justifying, excusing, or hiding our sin, we need to admit it to God.  We need to come to Him and confess our wrongdoing.  Sometimes this is not easy, but it will bring peace and joy back into our lives.  It will be a great relief to us.  As David says, “I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I did not hide; I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord’; and you forgave the guilt of my sin.” (Psalm 32:5 NASB)

Let us confess our sins to God and rejoice in the fact that they are covered by the blood of Jesus our Lord.

—Scott Colvin

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Posted by Scott Colvin