Proverbs 28:13 – He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.
2 Corinthians 7:10 – For godly sorrow (aka godly guilt/grief) worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
Guilt is a difficult subject and because of this, I would like to discuss more in detail about guilt itself before we go more into what the Bible says about guilt. Many people today hear guilt and think:
-it comes from the devil and you should ignore it
-run the other way
-leave guilt at the doorstep
-that guilt eats at us on the inside.
This causes many to deny guilt or run the other direction from it. This is the idea that if “I feel bad from the emotion of guilt, it must be wrong.” On the other hand, we must realize that God has created you and me with emotions and if we have the emotion of guilt it was implanted in us for a specific purpose.
First, if you are feeling guilty for something, don’t just ignore it. Guilt is a common emotion for all of us to feel depending on the situation. The question comes: is the guilt we’re feeling from a negative or positive source? Guilt can be negative if it’s a guilt that is false in your life. This guilt can be caused by some one of your family, friends, coworkers, bosses or other sources of manipulation in your life.
Through the feeling of guilt, these people will control or manipulate you and by doing so they will try to make you feel guilty for something that doesn’t even involve you, but by doing so they will have control over you. Making you think you’ve done something wrong when in fact they are the one in the wrong.
This allows them to be able to keep you under their control. This guilt is from something that you didn’t do or were involved with, but by manipulation and deceit they will make you think you were involved, and not only involved but that you did something wrong. This is what negative guilt is. A feeling of guilt that does nothing to steer you towards better decisions or actions and only makes you feel bad when you know there’s nothing you can do to change things.
But we also have positive guilt, guilt which is true and comes from knowing that we have done something wrong. This guilt eats at our conscious telling us that we have lied, stolen, gossipped, lusted, or commited adultry, glutony, idolotry, fornication, or been angry, had envy, looked at pornography, done drugs or alcohol or what ever else sin or fault it might have been. This is considered positive guilt, just like in 2 Corithinians 7 where it says that godly sorrow brings forth repentance unto salvation and leaves no regrets. This guilt allows us to step forward and become better Christians in Christ. Positive guilt is supposed to help us recognize the fault and repent of it in our life. Guilt that is positive will further our life towards peace, love, joy, understanding, humility, and humbleness to become more like our savior, Jesus Christ.
Proverbs 28 says that he that covers his sin shall not prosper, but who confesses and forsakes them shall have mercy. Guilt is an emotion that God has allowed us to have for the purpose of knowing when we have stepped over the line, or what we call His statues. Guilt reminds us of the transgression we have commited in our life. The reason it hurts us is because this emotional uncomfort will help us come to the understanding that we must confess and turn away from the iniquity and sins in our life.
Today we hear many times that the Holy Spirit will never make you feel guilty, and if you do feel guilty it’s not from Him. First, the scripture tells us that one of the duties of the Holy Spirit is to convict you and me of the wrongful sin in our life. I ask you then, doesn’t this mean you will be guilty of the sin you commit? Guilt is what comes from being convicted by the Holy Spirit, conviction is the declaration, the announcement, of the guilt in your life.
The equation looks like this: sin + conviction = guilt. He doesn’t guilt you but He convicts you which will bring guilt and godly sorrow in your life as a true Chrisian. This guilt will then bring you to a point of true repentance in your life.
Consequence of Action
James 2:10 – For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
Romans 8:1 – There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Romans 6:23 – For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Earlier I wrote that we all will all go through guilt throughout our life. The reason being is that Paul says in Romans 3:23 that we all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God. James 2 tells us that whosoever keeps all the law but yet has a fault in another, he is guilty of all. Romans 6:23 states that the wages of sin is death.
This tells us that if you and I keep everything else in the law but sin in just one, then we have been guilty of all and death shall come. Remember our actions have consequences, for better or for worse. One passage we hear a lot about is Romans 8:1 – that therefore there is no condemnation in them which are in Christ – but we usually forget the other part of this verse. There is no condemnation for the ones who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Put yourself in examination and see if are you following the flesh (which means there is condemnation for you) or are you following Jesus Chris in the Spirit of God (which means no condemnation)?
Many will always tell themselves that there is no condemnation for them because they believe in Jesus Christ which, overall, is nice, but the passage tells us that there is no condemnation for the one that is in Jesus Christ and walks after His Spirit, not the one that believes. That is why we must put it together with John 3:16, which means that whoever believes shall not perish but have ever-lasting life. This means that if you believe you must be in Jesus Christ and walk after the Spirit of God. And if you, or we, do, the gift is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
True belief will produce action in someone’s life, to advance towards God’s goal in your life and your surroundings. This will bring the gift of God which is eternal life for you or anyone that follows God’s commandments and ways.. Let’s not forget that God wants us to repent and come to Him.
God Is With Us, And Wants Us
Jerimiah 51:5 – For Israel hath not been forsaken, nor Judah of his God, of the LORD of hosts; though their land was filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel.
1 John 1:9 – If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Ezekiel 18:23 – Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?
Psalm 32:1-5 – (A Psalm of David, Maschil.) Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile. When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah. I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.
God does not forget about you and I. Just as it was written in Jerimiah 51 that He did not forsake Israel nor Judah even when their land was filled with sin against God. You and I have sinned before God, that is for sure; let’s no longer deny that. But even so, it does not mean that God has forsaken you. In fact, He takes no pleasure that the wicked should die but He wants them to turn from their ways so they may live (Ezekiel 18). Let’s turn to Him then for He is waiting.
1 John 1 says that if you confess your sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and, not only that, but He will also cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If you are willing we need to come before God with a heart humblness and truth to know we need, not just want. But we need His forgiveness. When you ask for forgiveness 1 John gives a promise from God telling us that if we confess our sins that He is faithful and just to forgive them. Glory to God!
True forgiveness comes with the feeling that the chain that has been attached to us is broken and the mountain on our shoulders was removed. We are no longer sitting still no matter how much we run and fight but now we have received peace at last and we can move freely.
Psalm 32 says that the one who has transgression and yet has not been forgiven seems that his bones have become old and he is in pain with groanings from his sin. That the Lord’s hand was heavy on him day and night, and the blessing of moisture had now turned dry as in the summer. But the one that has his transgression forgiven is blessed. Transgressions are forgiven by acknowledging your sin and iniquity and no longer hiding it, confessing to the Lord your God and He will be faithful and just to forgive you, just as He did King David.
Lets Confess, And Turn To Jesus Christ
1 John 1:9 – If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Hebrews 10:22 – Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
Understand brothers and sisters in Christ that He is faithful and just to forgive so ask for forgiveness so your burden may be lifted off of you.
Let’s go to God with a true heart full of the assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water (Hebrews 10:22).
You and I are a new creation in Christ if we allow Him to come in and we accept Him as our Lord and personal savior. He will cleanse you and I of all sin and transgression if we confess our sins.
Many today need repentance in their lives. Don’t allow yourself to be one of those many but come to Jesus Christ in humbleness and humility, confessing your sins to Him, accepting Him truly as your Lord. If you do, He will bless you with the promises from His Word.
May God Bless you all!