Guarding Against Guilt
May/08/08 09:37 Filed in: Sermon
Bible Study
I want to take a look at how we guard against the bad feelings we have when we do something wrong. Is it possible to restore joy and happiness to our lives when we have done wrong? What does God have to say about our guilty feelings of sinning against Him? God tells us very specifically what we are to do!
But before we take a look at what God has to say I want to take a look at what the world tells us today about guilt. I even want to take a look at supposedly Christian leaders and what they say about sin and guilt. Guilt is on the attack in our culture. The very idea that someone feels guilty is considered unproductive and obsolete.
Listen to a self help guru from the web pages of SelfGrowth.com Bill Ferguson tells us the following about guilt.
“It’s too bad that we have to learn so much by making mistakes (sin). The real tragedy happens when we add guilt.
The moment you add guilt, you seriously damage your relationship with yourself. You lose your confidence and your self-respect. You reinforce the feelings of being not okay. You feel undeserving and you hold yourself back.
Guilt seems to be caused by what you did, but it’s not. Guilt is never caused by what you did. Guilt is something that you add with the benefit of hindsight.”
Why does this quote make me go crazy, because I know it goes directly against God’s word. Bill Ferguson says, “You reinforce the feelings of being not okay.” Duh I am not okay I know who I am. I am a sinner.
We have commercials that glorify sin and a guilt free existence. How many times have we heard this statement. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. You can leave all your immorality and debauchery in Vegas and come home guilt free.
Or how about how the media who claim we can indulge in fast cars, rich foods and guilt free sex as long as we protect ourselves from passing on diseases and keep from getting someone pregnant.
Society tells us guilt is a groundless emotion that has the potential of taking all the fun out of life. Who needs guilt it is just a waste of energy. What is one of the ways society tells us to handle guilt? Its not my fault I am just a victim of my circumstances. I can blame other people or other things for my guilt and sins.
Do you know their are ministries who also alleviate guilt in this manner? Have you ever heard of deliverance ministries? Probably the most well known deliverance pastor is Bob Larson in Phoenix AZ.
Mr. Larson claims that most the sins and guilt that plagues us is not do to ourselves but to demon spirits who poses us. If you are plagued with an addiction it is not your fault. It is the fault of evil spirits inside you. If you have a drinking problem it is the demon of drunkenness that poses you. If you are a habitual liar then you are possessed with the demon of lying and it goes on and on. All you need to do is have the demon exorcised from you and you will be delivered. Again it is a way to take away our guilt by not having to be responsible for our own actions.
Then we move onto another one of my favorite pastors Joel Osteen. Who also refuses to acknowledge the true source of guilt and that is sin. How does a Pastor of thousands refuse to acknowledge the sins of his congregation. How can he give the true Gospel message? Instead he rather not make anyone feel guilty or bad.
Mr. Osteen was on the Larry King Show on June 20th 2005. Let me read you a short dialog interaction between Larry King and Joel Osteen.
KING: How about issues that the church has feelings about? Abortion? Same-sex marriages?
OSTEEN: Yeah. You know what, Larry? I don't go there. I just ...
KING: You have thoughts, though.
OSTEEN: I have thoughts. I just, you know, I don't think that a same-sex marriage is the way God intended it to be. I don't think abortion is the best. I think there are other, you know, a better way to live your life. But I'm not going to condemn those people. I tell them all the time our church is open for everybody.
KING: You don't call them sinners?
OSTEEN: I don't.
KING: Is that a word you don't use?
OSTEEN: I don't use it. I never thought about it. But I probably don't.
We have the world, we have professing Christian leaders telling us not to feel guilty. It is not our fault. I don’t want to make anyone feel guilty or bad. Is this what the bible teaches?
I want to take a look at a few passages that Paul writes to the Corinthian Church in 2 Corinthians chapter 7. Paul in Chapter 6 tells them about being separate from unbelievers and not to yoked with unbelievers and he starts off in verse 7 saying:
7 Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body [1] and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.
8 For even if I made you grieve with my letter, I do not regret it—though I did regret it, for I see that that letter grieved you, though only for a while.
9 As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us.
10 For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.
Do you think all the previous examples are God’s way of dealing with grief/guilt? Or do you think those are the worldly ways that produce death. The world is leading people to a guilt free death. We even have Christian leaders who are willing to so not offend someone that they allow them to die the second death which we know is much worse than the first. I don’t get it.
In verse 10 Paul gives us the solution to our guilt. It is repentance. It is a godly repentance that leads to salvation without regret. It is how Paul had a completely clear conscience and that is only accomplished through repentance and belief through our Lord and Savior who is just and faithful to forgive us for our sins. God separates are sin from as far as the east is from the west. He places them at the bottom of the ocean floor and remembers them no more.
Oh how the world is misguided in true guilt free living!! It is not found anywhere else but through Jesus Christ and turning to Him after we repent of our sins. Jesus tells us himself in Luke 13:3
No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.
I have a question. Who up through Jesus time was the greatest of all living men? Was it Moses, Abraham, Noah, Joseph? Who was it that Jesus said was the greatest. (John the Baptist).
If he was considered the greatest up till that time don’t you think pastors and teachers should be taking a serious look at what he had to say? What did Jesus say about him:
Matthew 11:11
Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist.
Mark 1:4-5
4 John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
Lets see if John was worried about offending anyone or hurting someone’s feelings. Or was he more worried about their eternal destiny?
In Luke 3:7-9
7 He said therefore to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. 9 Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
Hmm do you see a difference from the most greatest man up till Jesus time and what he preached compared to what the world tells us today?
To remove our guilt comes down to repenting of our sins. What does repenting of our sins actually mean. Besides regretting our sins it means turning from them as well. There is no other way then that friends. It is only by repenting and believing in Jesus Christ that I can be truly free of my guilt. I am and you are, sinners against a Holy and Perfect God. All I need to do is take a quick read of the 10 commandments and know on judgement day I am guilty of all 10.
I pray and hope there is no one reading this who hearts have been hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. If anyone is thinking in their minds they are pretty good and I don’t need to repent then I pray God pricks your heart and wakes you up out of your deceived state of mind.
Let me quote John MacArthur
There can be no salvation for those who aren’t convinced of the seriousness of their sin. There can be no word of reconciliation for sinners who remain oblivious to their estrangement from God. True fear of God cannot grip those who are blind to the depth of their sinfulness. And no mercy is available for those who do not tremble at God’s holy threats.
Repent and believe in Jesus Christ for He will set you free from all guilt. I can live a life being guilt free only through his forgiveness.
I want to wrap up todays message by looking at a man who was a man after God’s own heart. Most of you know who I am speaking about but this man had committed some pretty grievous sins. But why was He still a man after God’s heart? We are going to look at the prayer of King David and where is his heart.
We know the story of how he stole the wife of Uriah and had him murdered. We also know from Psalms 32 that while he was in the midst of his sin before he confessed he was feeling guilty. He writes:
3 For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah
But how does he respond when he finally comes to his senses. Repents in one of the most awesome Psalms. Psalms 51. I want you to turn to this passage and lets read it in its entirety to understand what true repentance looks like.
51:1 Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin!
3 For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.
4 Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you may be justified in your words
and blameless in your judgment.
5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
and in sin did my mother conceive me.
6 Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being,
and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.
7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones that you have broken rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins,
and blot out all my iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right [2] spirit within me.
11 Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and uphold me with a willing spirit.
13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will return to you.
14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God,
O God of my salvation,
and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.
15 O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it;
you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
18 Do good to Zion in your good pleasure;
build up the walls of Jerusalem;
19 then will you delight in right sacrifices,
in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings;
then bulls will be offered on your altar.
If you want to be Guilt free. Repent and believe in Jesus Christ.