Sunday, January 28, 2018 pm
PROBLEMS CHRISTIANS FACE
Dealing with Guilt (2)
But
there is also a sense of “false guilt” in which one is made to feel
guilty, even though he honestly is not – examples of this would be
children in a divorce thinking they are the cause; false standards,
being falsely accused of something, made to feel guilty by manipulators,
survivor’s guilt, death of a loved one (I should have done more),
victims of assault, etc.
We
also noted that far too many turn to the wrong sources for answers to
their guilt and seek to have it explained away.
Yet the Bible deals with the subject of guilt.
Wherever there is sin, there is guilt.
We even noted the guilt of the first sins and consequent sins.
We talked about how God views guilt – He does not ignore or
excuse it. Finally, we
talked about being convicted – (i.e. pronounced guilty) and how many in
scripture were convicted.
Tonight we want to notice how to deal with guilt.
a.
HONESTLY determine what
is the source of your guilt.
Do you feel guilty or are you guilty?
Honesty demands that you NEVER blame someone else for your own sins.
Even if others were partakers or instigators, you have to answer
for yourself. Ezekiel
18:4, 20.
(NOTE: Not guilty in one area does not excuse you in others).
And in this, make sure you don’t categorize REAL guilt as “false guilt”!
b.
Realize that guilt can
be a good thing
–
i.
God has given us a
conscience. When it works it
can drive us to where we need to be.
Romans 2:14-16 – Gentiles, who show the work written in their hearts –
their conscience bears witness
David’s sorrow for his sin – Psalm 51:1-4 David realizes his guilt
against God.
Psalm 6:6 – David was in tears all night as he pleads for mercy
ii.
2 Corinthians 7:10 –
Godly sorrow produces repentance
iii.
Acts 2:37-38 – they were
cut to the heart and responded
iv.
1 Timothy 4:2 warns of a
damaged conscience, seared with a hot iron.
Far too many today damage their conscience rather than dealing
with it properly.
c.
Realize that God has made provisions for your guilt.
John 3:16, Romans 5:6-8, etc.
The death of Jesus was because we are guilty!
1 Peter 2:24 says He bore our sins in His own body.
2 Corinthians 5:21, He made
Him who knew no sin to be in for us, that we might become the
righteousness of God to Him.
He has provided a way for us as Christians to be forgiven – 1 John
1:7-9, 2:1-2, Acts 8:22-23, etc.
We may not fully understand the spiritual process of how Jesus paid that
price, but we can know that God through Jesus has made a way for all of
our guilt to be forgiven.
d.
Deal with the cause of
your guilt
i.
REPENT! Acts
8:22. If you have sin in your life, you need to deal with it.
Consider 2 Corinthians 7:10-11 – notice how true repentance can clear up
your guilt. But it must be
TRUE and complete repentance!
ii.
Accept the consequences of your guilt. Quit making
excuses for bad behavior!
Change what you can, but move forward in matters you cannot change.
e.
Accept God’s forgiveness
- IF you have done what you should do, learn to accept it.
i.
This is a part of genuine faith. James 1:6 – ask
in faith; Hebrews 10:23, Let us hold fast the confession of our hope
without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
ii.
A part of that is also being willing to accept that your past is past, and
you cannot change it. Consider the example of Paul
who though he was guilty accepted God’s forgiveness.
He said in 1 Timothy 1:13 – he obtained mercy.
1 Corinthians 15:10, “by the grace of God I am what I am”;
Philippians 3:13-14 – forgetting what is behind, I press on!
iii.
Finally, in this be willing to forgive yourself.
This is sometimes VERY hard to do.
f.
Don’t seek advice from those who want to ignore your guilt before God.
If you are struggling, turn to those who have your spiritual welfare in
mind – cf. James 5:14-16. If
you want to talk with a “professional”, please find one who will not
seek to dismiss your faith!
g.
What about “false
guilt”?
i.
Again, study God’s word.
You learn many things such as guilt belongs with the sinner –
1) Ezekiel 18:20 – the soul who sins shall die;
2) Blaming others will not resolve your problems
3) 1 Corinthians 10:13 – there is a way of escape
4) The need and challenge of forgiveness, both yourself and others!
ii.
Matthew 11:28-30 – come
to Jesus for rest and consolation.
1 Peter 5:6-7 – case your cares on God for He cares for you.
iii.
Work on not worrying
about things you have NO control over.
An element about all “false guilt” is that it is something you
have no control over.
Matthew 6:25-34.
iv.
Build up your faith – as
you learn to trust Him more, it can help you better deal with such
struggles.
v.
Again, seek help from
your brethren to pray with you and for you.
And if needed, help from godly professionals who will respect
the boundaries of scripture.
Guilt, like many other things is something we may struggle with.
But, as with so many other things, the Bible gives us direction
to help deal with it. That
is what makes the Christian different from the world.
Let us resolve that even in this we will trust in God.
Finally, never forget that you are guilty before God.
But he has provided the way to take care of that guilt.
Have you done what He said?
Have you accepted His forgiveness? Think about it!